You're the apple to my pie
by ReidsGirl
Summary: Annie Barker is opening the new cafe in town and it soon becomes the favourite lunchbreak destination for the BAU team. With home-cooked meals and her winning personality she soon wins over the team's tummys and affections. But will she win the heart of a certain Dr. Spencer Reid as well? Lots of fluff with some suspense/drama. NOW COMPLETE! Rated T for safety. Reid/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! This is my first-ever Criminal Minds fanfiction and the first fanfiction I've written in over 10 years when I was still in my teens... Getting old haha. So please bear with me. :-) I hope you like it, all reviews are welcome and greatly appreciated. Also, English isn't my first language, so pardon any mistakes! And: I don't own Criminal Minds in any way, although I wish I owned Reid. *winkwink* **

**xoxo  
**

**ReidsGirl**

**Chapter 1**

"What the hell have I just done", Annie Barker thought as she stepped out of the estate agents office, "I just hope this works out...". After spending the past 4 years as a Public Relations assistant, she had just signed a 2-year lease on her very own cafe/restaurant. She had always loved to cook and bake every since she started helping her mom out in the kitchen as a 6 year old. It had always been her favourite pasttime, inviting friends over for dinner, browsing the local farmer's market for fresh ingredients and creating the, according to her BFF Sarah, "best birthday cakes the world has ever known". But it had always been just a fun thing, eventhough she had always dreamed of opening up her own little place and actually turn her hobby into her job. And now, at the age of 27, she had done it. Just like that. "I just hope this works out..." she thought again as she got into her old, but much-loved, bright-red VW Beetle.

**4 weeks later**

"Sarah, can you come in here for a second? I wanna know what you think of the new wall paint!". Annie's paint-spotted face was quizzical as she looked at the result of the past two hours. After signing the lease she had gotten to work right away. She had browsed flea markets on the lookout for old tables and chairs she could use to furnish her little cafe. She had spent hours at the hardware store picking out wall paint and other stuff she needed to make the place just perfect.

She didn't want it to be one of those uniformed, boring restaurants you could find in any city across the country. She wanted to create a place where people felt at home and could just relax. And the color of the walls was an essential step towards reaching that goal. "Oh my god Annie, I love it!", Sarah exclaimed when she entered the room. "I never thought that shade of green would work but it's perfect and fits perfectly with the "dirty" yellow you picked out to paint the tables", she laughed. Annie shot her a look. "It's not "dirty" yellow, to be exact the name of the color is "antique yellow" and creates just the perfect look I want for them!", she determinedly corrected her friend. "Whatever you say! Anyway, just teasing you Annie!" Sarah said and laughed as she looked at her best friend. She had to admit, Annie was positively glowing. Eventhough her face as well as her light-brown, shoulder-length hair was covered in paint, her bangs totally out of place, her blue eyes were sparkling and she looked happier than she had seen her in a long time.

Annie looked around the room and had to agree with Sarah, she absolutely loved the wall color and just hoped her future patrons would think the same way. The place was almost done, even the sign had already been installed above the door. She hadn't felt that creative when it came to naming her cafe so she had just chosen the most obvious: "Annie's". She just couldn't believe it, in just a few days she would open her very own business!

Just then she heard the little bell above the entrance ring and in came a women she estimated to be around 32, blonde hair, in a bright yellow polka-dot dress with a matching flower at her ponytail. "Sorry, we're not open yet", Annie said to what appeared to be her first patron. "Ohhh, that's too bad, I noticed this place had a new owner and thought the new sign outside looked so welcoming with it's little coffee pot, so I thought I'd check it out and get a coffee while I'm here!" the woman said. Annie just had to smile, she immediately liked the curvaceous blonde who seemed to talk even more than she did. "I'm sorry, we're not open yet but the coffee machine is working, so if you like I can make you one – on the house of course. Not that I could charge you, our cash register hasn't even arrived yet", she laughed and extended her hand to the other woman. "I'm Annie Barker by the way and welcome to my cafe, you're officially the first patron here!". The other woman smiled at her "Hi, nice to meet you, I'm Penelope, Penelope Garcia and I have to say I'm already in love with your place! And yes, I would love that cup of coffee!". After Annie had introduced Sarah as her best friend she hurried to the coffee machine and quickly prepared three cappuccinos and then joined the others at the table in the middle of the room. Penelope was animatedly talking to Sarah, complimenting the interior. "This place is just what we needed around here! I can't wait to see it when it's all done and ready and drop by for my lunch break, that is if you plan to serve lunch", she laughed. Annie went on assure her, yes there would be lunch, good home cooked cuisine with an Italian touch. Penelope was delighted "I just love pasta, one of my colleagues is Italian, I'll have to see how yours compete with his" she declared with a smile. "I'll have to bring my team here for lunch as soon as you're open, I'm sure they would love the place as well!"

**So what do you think? Good/Bad, any suggestions? Should I continue?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi there! First of all, can't believe I already have some reviews and even followers and favourites! Thank you all so much guys! Your positive feedback and encouragement to continue means a lot to me! And it added to the writing flow I just had sooo, here's another chapter for you all! **

**I'm leaving for a long holiday tomorrow night and will be back Sunday, maybe I will find the time to give you a short little chapter before that if not, bear with me and I will update Monday! **

**Thanks again to all of you! **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

Chapter 2

"This is it", Annie thought when she was woken by her alarm at 6 in the morning. Today was the big day, the day her lifelong dream would finally become reality. Today was the grand opening of her cafe. She still couldn't quite believe it. She had put all her energy and heart into it this last week to make sure they could open on time. She had hired waitresses to cover the shifts, bargained with food suppliers to get the best deals and put the finishing touches on the interior. The cafe was now a cozy haven she hoped her patrons would enjoy just as much as she did: The warm green of the walls provided the perfect background for the mismatched but charming furnishings, consisting of small tables with cute chairs and she had even found a beautiful and comfy loveseat with two adorable armchairs. Penelope Garcia had stopped by the day after they first met and offered to help her with decorating, adding a certain quirky charme to the place. They had hit it off instantly and she had rewarded her new friend by making her member number 2 (Sarah being member number 1) of her official sampling team to determine which dishes to put on the menu.

By now she had learned that Penelope was a former hacker, now working for the FBI, to be exact, she was a member of the BAU, the Behavioural Analysis Unit, a team of profilers catching serial killers. At first she couldn't believe the bubbly blonde was really working for the government, she had always imagined FBI agents to be serious people in black suits. But Penelope had assured her that apart from her boss, who partly fit right into that stereotype, her team (or family, as she called them) were all a lot of fun. She had even promised to bring them all along to the opening and "make sure they taste every single dish on your delicious menu" as she had put it.

Because it was the first day and they would host a big opening party the cafe would open up at lunchtime. In the future they would be open from 9 to 6, offering breakfast and lunch as well as cakes in throughout the afternoon. But eventhough the grand opening wouldn't start for another 6 hours she still had a lot of work to do. So she quickly jumped out of bed and went into the bathroom to take a quick shower. "Let's do this!", she thought as she opened her closet 20 minutes later to pick out what to wear for this big day. Choosing a knee-length, black, pleated dress with a small flower pattern and bright red ballet flats she nodded approvingly at her own image in the mirror. The dress accentuated her slender but feminine curves perfectly. She had never been a superskinny girl but had always loved her body the way it was. Sarah always compared her to the 50s pinup girls she obsessed about. Plus, she just loved good food too much to starve herself. She briefly thought about changing into heels to heighten her 5'4 frame but decided against it in favour of her feet, she had a long day ahead of her. Grabbing her keys and purse she hurried out the door.

Four hours later Annie was done preparing everything for the opening. Sarah had even taken the day off from her job at the local preschool to help her out on this important day. To introduce the guests, and she was still hoping anyone besides Garcia and her team would actually show up, to her menu she had decided to offer mixed platters of the dishes to give everyone a chance to try a bit of everything. So far nothing had gone wrong and she was looking forward to finally opening the doors. "Hey there, a little pre-opening toast is in order", Sarah called out as she entered the kitchen with a bottle of champagne. Annie couldn't help laughing, "What the hell is a pre-opening toast?" but was touched at how her best friend supported her in this new adventure. She quickly gathered the two waitresses, Holly and Miranda, and her talented sous chef Josh to join them. "Guys, I'd like to thank you for being so helpful today, as you know this is a really big deal for me. Keep up the good work and let's rock this opening", Annie cheerfully declared as they clinked glasses. She made sure to only take a few sips, she wanted to have a clear head, in just 10 minutes they would open the doors.

Two hours later the cafe was busy with patrons all enjoying the cozy atmosphere and delicious food. They had just finished lunch hour, which had been a huge success. Everyone had complimented her on the dishes and now the guests were enjoying coffee and cakes, especially her blueberry muffins turned out to be a favourite. Although she had worked hard in the past hours, Annie couldn't imagine life could get any better than this. Just as she was coming out of the kitchen, taking off her apron, her face slightly blushed and glowing from the warmth in the kitchen, she spotted no other than Penelope Garcia approaching the coffee counter. "Hi my kitchen godess, how are things going? Ready to serve a team of hungry profilers?", she declared loudly, as always turning a few heads. Annie couldn't help but laugh, hugged her tightly and answered: "Lunch hour is over you know, but I'll make an exception for your family if they are okay with a quick pasta dish. Just let me put my apron back on and I'll rustle something up real quick."

But Garcia grabbed her arm and started to pull her towards a group of people near the entrance "In a minute sweetie, first you'll have meet the gang!" They reached the group and Garcia started introductions "Hey everyone, I want you to meet Annie, owner and kitchen godess of this cafe and possibly the sweetest girl I have ever met, present company excepted" she said with a smile at the two woman standing next to her. "Annie, this is Jennifer Jareau, or just JJ and Emily Prentiss". Annie smiled at the two women while thinking how Garcia had been right, they both seemed really nice and she would never have guessed they were FBI Agents had she met them anywhere else. Penelope moved on to a tall, dark and handsome man "And this is my hot stuff I've told you so much about, the one and only Derek Morgan, I'm telling you, hands off he is mine. But you may flirt" she said with a wink, making Annie laugh. As handsome as he might be, he was definitely not her type. Derek smiled at Annie and proceeded to shake her hand "Nice to meet you Annie". Next to Morgan was a man in his 50s with a definite Italian look about him, Annie smiled at him and remarked "And let me guess, this is David Rossi, my biggest competition when it comes to Pasta, right?". David seemed immediately charmed by her and shook her hand. Garcia turned back to face Annie and then apologized "Sorry but our team leader Hotch couldn't be here today, he's got a pile of paperwork on his desk." Then her eyes scanned the room, looking for someone "Guys, where is Reid, wasn't he with us when we got here?" Morgan put his arm around Garcia's shoulders and with a broad smile said "He just remembered he had to pick up a couple of books he ordered, he should be back any minute. You know Annie, Spencer is our little genius and he reads a lot, insane amounts of books actually." Just then the bell above the entrance let off it's by now familiar ring and Annie turned her head.

And found herself looking into the most intriguing hazel eyes she had ever seen...

**I know, I know I'm bad for ending the chapter like this! But I somehow gotta make sure you come back haha. :) And don't forget to review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Thanks to all reviewers and followers! I'm going away for a long weekend tonight but I didn't wanna keep you waiting for 4 days so here's a short but sweet new chapter! I hope you enjoy it, I promise the next one will be longer! I'll try to update again next Monday! **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

**Chapter 3**

Looking into those hazel eyes Annie felt her heart flutter slightly and almost didn't hear Penelope. "Reid, there you are! This is Annie, the owner of the café. And this here, Annie, is our resident genius Dr. Spencer Reid" she introduced the two. Snapping out of her trance-like state just in time to see Spencer give a little wave to her with just the hint of a smile "Hi Annie, nice to meet you". She just managed to get out a stammered "Nice to meet you too" as she felt her face blushing. "Ahem, I, so, I'll get back to the kitchen if you guys are hungry, so ahem, I should probably get going. So, ahem, I take it you all like Spagetti?" she spluttered, already making her way back to the small kitchen in the back of the café and disappearing behind the swing doors. Inside, she leaned against the cool kitchen tiles and shut her eyes. "Great, just great Annie. Way to go there, what are you? A 14 year old high school chick?" she thought as she took a deep breath. She couldn't believe what just happened out there. First of all, she had never been a shy person, in fact quite the opposite. She loved meeting new people and had never experienced anything like the encounter minutes earlier. Just thinking about it made her cringe but also brought back the image of Dr. Spencer Reid. She had never before been so fascinated by anyones eyes and eventhough she had fled the scene so abruptly she had managed to get a good look at the rest of him. Tall, skinny with a head of messy but definitely cute brown hair and a certain geekish charm to him. Other than his eyes, his lips had caught her attention immediately and she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to kiss those lips… "Get a hold of yourself Annie, you've met the guy for what, 2 minutes?" she scolded herself. But she couldn't ignore the butterflies she started to feel in her tummy. Still, she had a business to run and Penelope's teammates were probably hungry and waiting. So she determinedly put her apron back on and went on to prepare one of her favourites, Spagettini with sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes and fresh basil.

Meanwhile, the BAU team had taken their seats at one of the larger tables and interestedly examinded the interior of the café they had heard so much about from Garcia in the past week. "You were right Pen, this really is a charming place, if the food is any good this could quickly become a favourite", JJ smiled as she looked around the room. "And Annie seems really nice! But I had the impression she was a little nervous."

"That's what I told you, and did you ever have a reason to doubt your source of all knowledge?" Garcia replied with a huge grin on her face. "And I'm sure she's just a bit nervous about everything going right today, this must be so exciting for her, opening up her own business. And she's only 27, did I tell you that?"

"Well she only got nervous once a certain Doctor stepped into the room baby girl", Derek couldn't help to interrupt his best friend with a wink. "Seems like you made quite the impression Reid!"

"Hm, what?", Reid looked at Morgan and felt a slight blush creep up his cheeks. He should be used to his friends teasing by now but when it came to women he was still always unsure of himself and rather insecure. Despite being a profiler, when it came to reading a girl's signals he was useless.

And most of the time the team teasing him annoyed the hell out of him. He knew Morgan didn't mean to do any harm but Reid couldn't help the fact that his remarks also kind of hurt him. He was 28 and except for the one girlfriend he had when he was 18 and the kiss with Lila a couple of years back he didn't have that much experience when it came to dating. And eventhough he never admitted it to anyone, he sometimes felt kind of lonely. When he saw JJ and Will together on the weekends when he visited his godson Henry he couldn't help but feel jealous. He wondered what it would be like to have someone to come home to, someone he could talk to and share his life with. Someone who would love him just the way he was.

His thoughts were interrupted when Annie neared their table with the first plates of food and exclaiming "Hope you are all hungry!" and he felt his heart skip a beat when he looked at her sparkling blue eyes and warm smile. But he quickly shook the feeling, quietly thinking to himself "Who are you kidding Spencer, someone like her would never be interested in a nerd like you…."

**Sooo, what do you think? Don't forget to review, can't wait to hear what you think about it so far!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi guys! I'm back with a new chapter! Sorry I couldn't update sooner, I was away for the weekend. But I have a day off today so I'll have all the time in the world to write. So you'll get at least another chapter today! :D **

**So enjoy the new chapter and don't forget to review! **

* * *

**Chapter 4**

"Are we expecting a couple of more people?" Morgan asked when Annie put down a large plate of pasta in front of him.

"You're not gonna tell me a tall, strong guy like you is not gonna be able to finish a bit of pasta, you should've told me you wanted the kid's menu" Annie laughed with a wink in her eye.

"I'm starting to see why Garcia likes you, I'm starting to see you two have a lot in common" Derek answered with a smile. "Why don't you join us, I'm sure we can make room for one more on the table", and with that he scooted his chair to the side to make space for her between himself and JJ.

"Yeah sure, thanks" Annie answered, quickly retrieved a chair from another table and sat down. "But please, tuck in before it gets cold!". She was anxious to see if the team would like her food, eventhough she always got complimented on her cooking she was always afraid someone wouldn't like it. But as they all took their first bites their faces were all she needed as affirmation that she had once again done a good job.

"I gotta give it to you girl, this comes awfully close to the dishes my Mamma used to cook me. But don't tell her, eventhough she's in her 80s, I still fear her Italian temper" Rossi laughed.

The others soon joined in praising her food. Soon conversation was flowing at the table and Annie started to see why Penelope always called them her "family", she instantly liked all of them. The animated conversation was also giving her chance to have a closer look at Spencer and it only confirmed what she had felt earlier. She was definitely attracted to him. She still couldn't get over those eyes, but it wasn't only that. There was just something about him that captivated her and of course those lips weren't bad either... "Stop it Annie!" she once again thought to herself.

"Annie?! Annie!", Garcia snapped her out of her daydream. "I was telling the guys about your a-ma-zing blueberry muffins, so could we order some for dessert?"

"Oh yeah, sure", Annie answered, blushing once again at being caught staring at Reid. While one of the waitresses was already clearing the table Annie stood up to get the muffins and couldn't help but notice the looks Garcia shot Morgan in reaction of her red cheeks.

What she didn't see was the gaze of Spencer when she walked away. He hoped it wouldn't be to obvious but he couldn't take his eyes off Annie. He had never met anyone that made him feel this way. Yes, Lila had made him nervous but he guessed that was partly because she was a famous movie star and from another world, a world that was so different to his own. But Annie gave him butterflies on a new level. He loved to see her smile, she wasn't just smiling with her mouth, when she smiled her whole face lit up. She seemed so confident without coming off as arrogant and had made them welcome from the first minute. Her brown hair flowed softly around her face and he caught himself wondering how it would feel to let his fingers run through it. And he usually didn't even like to touch strangers!

"Wow pretty boy, you couldn't be any more obvious right now", he suddenly heard Derek whisper to him, causing him to slightly jump in his seat.

"Ahem, what?!", he answered, hoping the blush that was slowly creeping up his face once again wouldn't be too noticable.

"What?! Are you kidding me? You've been staring at Annie ever since you walked in here, anyone could see that so don't try fooling me!"

"Morgan, I don't know what you're talking about so drop it." Spencer said quickly. He just didn't want anyone to know how Annie made him feel after knowing her for what, 2 hours? Morgan wouldn't stop teasing him, the team would start getting all excited about setting them up and then when it turned out Annie wasn't even remotely interested they would all feel bad for him and he would have to deal with the embarassment.

"Whatever you say kid, but if you wanna know my opinion, I think she likes you", Derek said and turned back to his conversation with Emily.

As Annie filled a basket with the muffins she baked just this morning she stole another glance at Spencer. Derek had just said something to him which made him frown slightly. "And even now he looks cute!", she thought as she felt the butterflies in her stomach act up again.

"Hey there girl, how's it going?" Sarah interrupted her thoughts making her jump. "You seem kinda out of it, everything allright?"

"Um, yeah, I'm fine. It's just that, ahem..". Ok, she couldn't not tell her best friend what was going on in her head, she would notice it anyways sooner or later and judging by those butterflies this wouldn't be going away anytime soon. "Ok, see this guy over there on Penelope's table?"

"Ohhh, the tall, dark hottie?" Sarah gushed, "wouldn't think he was your type Annie!"

"No silly, the other one, with the wool cardigan. I know it sounds silly but ever since he walked in here I feel like I'm back in high school... "

"Oh that one, yeah he is kinda cute if you like the nerdy style haha", Sarah laughed and Annie shot her a mad look. "Then go for it girl, it's about time you went on a date again. Ever since that jerk Marcus you've practically been living like a nun."

"I know but you were there, you saw what Marcus did to me. So I think it should be kind of understandable why I haven't been in the mood for dating.." Annie answered, the memory of her last boyfriend clouding her face. He had been her first and so far only serious relationship and it had ended bad. She was over him now but she would never forget the hurt he caused her. She sometimes wondered if she'd ever be able to trust a man again, which was part of the reason why she hadn't dated anyone in over a year. That and the fact that she wasn't the type for casual dating and until Spencer had walked into her cafe 2 hours earlier she hadn't met anyone she was even slightly interested in.

"Yeah, but you can't hide out forever Annie", Sara interrupted her thoughts. "Marcus was an idiot for treating you the way he did. But believe it or not, not all men are like him. There are plenty of great guys out there and you really wanna risk to let one of them slip through your fingers because of the past? And you'll never know, this cutie over there could be one of them. And you won't know that unless you find out."

Annie knew her friend was right. But letting go of your fears was easier said than done. And she had only just met Spencer, and who knew if he even liked her? No, she couldn't ask a guy she just met for a date. Eventhough she was outgoing and confident, when she met someone that made her feel the way Spencer did she suddenly felt shy and nervous. Grabbing a couple of napkins she took the basket of muffins and went back to the table.

"Sorry it took a bit longer guys, but here are the blueberry muffins I promised, enjoy!" she announced to the FBI team and couln't help but direct her huge smile at Spencer. And when he smiled back her heart skipped another beat and her belly was doing that butterfly thing again.

"Well", she thought "maybe this guy would be worth finding out..."

* * *

**Hope you liked this chapter! And please review, I live for you feedback! xD**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi guys! As promised, another chapter for you! Thank you all so much for the reviews! I hope you're all fine with me taking things slow between Annie and Spencer, I really want to try and keep Reid in character as best as possible! **  
**So, enjoy the new chapter, I'll try and update again as soon as I can! **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Four hours later Annie was closing up for the day. She was exhausted, but happy. The grand opening of the cafe had been a huge success and she couldn't help but feel a bit proud of herself. All she wanted to do now was get home and take a shower and then probably fall asleep on the couch. "And dream of Spencer", she couldn't help thinking as she got into her VW Beetle. It was ridiculous how she hadn't been able to get him out of her head even after he had left with his team. They had all complimented her on the food again and promised to visit again soon. And she really, really hoped they would keep the promise since she didn't really know another way to see Spencer again without raising suspicion...

After spending the afternoon with the unpopular task of finishing some paperwork about their last case, Spencer Reid was glad that his workday was finally over. And that alone was something he almost never experienced. He loved his work, it was basically his life. But today was different, today he had been distracted. He just couldn't get Annie Barker out of his head. Over the past couple of hours, when he should have been focusing on witness statements and expense claims, his thoughts kept coming back to her. He had never felt this way about a girl before, let alone a girl he knew almost nothing about. But the thing was, he wanted to know more. He wanted to know everything about her. What she loved, what made her laugh, what kind of music she liked. Just thinking about her again now gave him butterflies in his stomach again. He couldn't wait to see her again.

The next morning Annie entered the cafe through the back entrance, finding her colleague Josh already in the kitchen.

"Morning Annie, ready for day two?", he greeteds his boss with a smile. Annie was so glad she had found him to help her out in the kitchen. As much as she loved to cook and bake, there was a huge difference between preparing food for your friends at home and running a restaurant. Miranda, one of the waitresses was already preparing everything out front for the breakfast rush. Since Josh already had the baked goods for breakfast covered, Annie decided to rush over to the flower shop to get some flowers to put on the tables. It was early April and today was an exceptionally warm day. The sun was out and she just felt the place could use a little spring charm. Greeting the elderly owner of the shop across the street she went about to pick out a colorful variation to brighten up the cafe. She was still focused on putting the change back into her purse when she entered the cafe – crashing into someone.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry..." she started, looking up at the person and instantly blushing even more when she saw it was no other than Spencer Reid.

"Ahem, hi! No, I'm sorry." Spencer quickly answered, feeling his heart instantly pick up the pace as he looked into Annie's eyes looking up at him. He had gathered up all his courage this morning and decided to pick up his morning coffee at her cafe. And had been disappointed when she was nowhere to be seen. Now she was standing before him looking even more beautiful than the day before, if that was even possible. She had her hair up in a ponytail today, her bangs framing her face. She was dressed in a casual knee-length white skirt and black top. When she bumped into him her scent had instantly hit him. He never would have thought anyone could smell so good.

"Oh hi, it's you! Again, I'm sorry, I was just distracted. I'm such a klutz, my dad always says "If there's anything, anywhere, anyone could bump into, you can be sure Annie will bump into it". So yeah, I'm sorry." she said. Great Annie, you're rambling again, she thought.

"It's fine really. You need help with those?" he answered, gesturing at the bags of flowers in her hand.

"Oh thanks", she said and handed him one of the bags as he followed her into the cafe. "So, ahem, how are you? On your way to work?" she asked, scolding herself for yet again stammering like a teenager. But she couldn't help it, he just had that effect on her.

"Yeah, on my way to work and since the food yesterday was really good I thought I'd check out the coffee", Spencer answered feeling a little blush creep up his face.

"So, um, you probably have to be at work but I was wondering, if you have some time, maybe you want to sit down for a moment and keep me company while I have a quick breakfast? You'll get a bagel on the house!?" Annie asked, looking hopeful.

Spencer could have sworn his heart stopped right there. Was she really asking him to spend time with her? He was nervous about what they would talk about, people usually got bored pretty quickly when he talked to them. As soon as he started with random statistics and facts they always got that weird "Are you kidding me?!" look. He just hoped he wouldn't screw this one up.

"Yeah sure if you're not too busy." he nodded and sat down at a corner table.

"Ok, I'll be right back, I'll just get myself a coffee and the bagels.", Annie smiled.

At the coffee counter she had to take a deep breath. She couldn't believe he had said yes. Preparing a cappucino for herself she proceeded to toast two sesame bagels, got the cream chees and some jam out of the little fridge beneathe the counter and then went back to Spencer.

"There you are, I hope you like sesame!"

"Yes, thank you. Did you know that sesame is considered to be the oldest oilseed crop in the world, domesticated well over 5000 years ago?" he answered and immediately blushed again. "Great Spencer, so much for not spitting out random facts.." he thought to himself. But funnily, Annie didn't give him a weird look.

"Wow really? I didn't know that. But you learn something new every day, don't you?" she answered instead, giving him one of those smiles again.

He was just about to go on telling her more about sesame but stopped himself. She might find a little fact about it interesting but he didn't want to push it.

"So, Garcia tells me you're a doctor? What kind?" Annie interrupted his thoughts.

"Actually, I have Ph.D.'s in Mathematics and Chemistry. And B.A.'s in Psychology and Sociology" he answered shyly.

"Wow, impressive!" Annie gushed. "So how old are you? You can't be that much older than me, so you must be pretty smart!" She actually felt a bit intimidated by what he just told her.

"I'm 28. I graduated high school when I was 12 so yeah, I went to college a lot earlier than most people."

"Wow, that must've been pretty hard, always being the youngest!" Annie couldn't help but say. "High school is bad enough as it is, but having no one your age to hang out with must really suck!"

"It was ok I guess, I mostly kept to myself and read a lot." Spencer answered, not wanting to scare her off with the stories of how he got bullied almost every single day.

But Annie could see that there was more to that topic than he let on, but she didn't want to pressure him into telling her more. She also felt kind of intimidated by what he just told her. Hell, he was practically a genius. He was probably already bored from talking to her.

"So, how did you get into the restaurant business?" Spencer asked her just then.

"Well, I used to work in Public Relations until recently. And while it was something I really enjoyed I've already had a passion for cooking and baking. My mom basically taught me everything I know, we always used to cook together. We actually still do but since I moved here from New Hampshire a couple of years ago we don't see each other as much. So, a couple of weeks ago I was at the office and suddenly thought to myself "Annie, this is not what you want to do for the rest of your life" and as luck has it, a couple of days later I walked by this place. I saw the "for rent" sign, met up with the estate agent and signed the lease" she told him.

"Wow, that's a pretty brave thing to do! Just following your dream like that, taking that risk." Spencer smiled.

"Haha, talk about bravery. You're the FBI agent, I'm sure you're a lot braver than I am." Annie laughed.

Spencer was once again captivated by her laugh. It was like the room lit up and he couldn't take his eyes off her. She was truly beautiful with so much warmth in her eyes. Just then his phone started ringing.

"Hey there Reid, where are you? The team is waiting for you, we have another case!", Garcia was on the other end.

"Um, Sorry Penelope, I'm on my way. I'll be there in 10 minutes." Reid answered with an apologetic smile at Annie. Stuffing the phone back in his pocket he said: "I'm really sorry but I have to go. We have a new case so, um, yeah I really need to go.".

"Sure, no problem. I really enjoyed talking to you." Annie smiled back. And she really had. He was so different from other guys she had met. There was nothing flashy or cocky about him. On the contrary, he seemed to be really shy but somehow she found it incredibly endearing. "So Spencer, when you get back, drop by for another coffee anytime. And maybe some cake. I make a mean apple pie!" she winked at him.

Spencer almost choked on the coffee he was still sipping. He couldn't believe it. She wanted to see him again?

"Um, yeah sure I will. So, um, have a great day and, um, see you soon." he said, already getting up to leave giving her an awkward wave.

"And stay safe catching those criminals, I wouldn't want anything to happen to you!", Annie slipped out, immediately blushing.

Spencer was at a loss for words, now with an equally red face. He gave her another wave and stumbled out.

Annie looked after him, her heart beating a little faster. He was just too cute. She really couldn't wait to see him again but was also a little worried about him going on a case. Penelope had told her how sometimes the team got into dangerous situations. But even that couldn't wipe the huge smile from her face and she hoped they would catch the bad guy soon and that Spencer would keep his promise and drop by again. With a deep sigh she got up, smiled again at the memory of the past 20 minutes and then started arranging the flowers she just bought on the tables.

Once Spencer was out the door he took a deep breath. She wanted him to stay safe. Did she really mean it the way he hoped? Did she really care for him? He stole another glance through the large windows of the cafe and his heart skipped another beat when he saw Annie animatedly retrieving the bags with the flowers and started decorating. She really was beautiful. Walking to his car he noticed he had a spring to his step, he couldn't remember the last time he was that happy. And he couldn't stop grinning like a madman. Usually he didn't care how long their cases took him away from home but this time was different. He had something to look forward too. He couldn't wait to see her again, he couldn't wait to hear that laugh again.

* * *

**Sooo guys, that's it for today! What do you think? Don't forget to review, I really can't wait to hear what you all think! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**First of all, thanks for all the great reviews! They really made my day and I love you all! :D Just so you know: I hope you don't mind if I don't go into any detail when the team has a case. I just really want this story to be about Annie and Spencer.**

**So here's a new chapter! I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Two days later, Annie was just taking a batch of banana muffins out of the oven and getting ready to open the cafe for the day when she heard a knock at the entrance. Through the glass windows she could see no other than Penelope Garcia. With a smile she took off her apron and went to open the door.

"Hi there kitchen godess! How are you? I know you're still closed but I was hoping you'd have a coffee and maybe even some of your heavenly baking creations for your favourite new friend?", Penelope asked with a little wink.

"For you, always. In fact, I just finished a batch of muffins, if you at least have the patience to wait till they cool off a bit you can enjoy them while their still warm." Annie laughed as she started preparing coffee for both of them.

"You are my saviour sweetie! This godess needs some sugar and fast!"

"Yeah, you look kinda worn out Pen. The case still not solved?" Annie asked.

"The case? How do you know about the case Annie? Or am I already that sleep-deprived that I forgot we talked within the past 2 days?" Garcia asked, looking genuinely worried.

Annie immediately felt a blush creep up her neck. "Um, no we didn't talk. Actually, Spencer was here when you called him to tell him about the case so, yeah, that's how I know."

"Reid was here? Why do I only hear about this now? Has no one told you yet that Penelope Garcia needs to know everything her babies are up to? And that by the way, now also includes you!" Penelope laughed and jokingly waggled her finger at Annie.

"Well, he was just here to grab a coffee so we talked for a bit." Annie answered and couldn't help but smile at the thought of Spencer.

"Aha! I knew it! I told Morgan that Spencer had this happy glow on him when he got to the office! Who's the profiler now? Of course I should have known it had something to do with you, sunshine!" Garcia laughed.

Annie couldn't believe her ears. Did Penelope really just imply that Spencer seemed happy because of her? Of course Garcia tended to overexaggurate things but she still couldn't stop her heart from beating just a bit faster at the thought of having that effect on him.

"Um, Pen, what are you implying? We just had coffee, that hardly has anything to do with anything" Annie said nervously.

"Oh, that's what you think sweetie but I know our little genius. And eventhough I've only known you a couple of weeks I can't help but notice that cute smile you can't seem to get off your face since we started talking about him." Garcia declared. "You're just lucky I really have to get to the office, they haven't solved the case yet and need their favourite tech kitten to help them along. But prepare for a thourough questioning FBI-style when this case is over!"

And with that she was already back out the door. Annie couldn't help but smile. Penelope might be straightforward but she actually liked that about her. And she was the person she had to thank for meeting Spencer at all, hadn't it been for the bubbly blonde there wouldn't be anything to "spill". With Spencer still in her thoughts she went to the entrance to finally open up for the day, hoping the team would get back from their latest case soon and most important of all, safely.

"Sexiest source of knowledge there ever was, what can I do for you sweetie?", Garcia answered her phone a couple of hours later. She had spent the morning working her magic digging up sealed medical and juvenile records. Their current case involved a series of murders in Iowa. 3 young mothers had been brutally killed and she had to dig deep to come up with a suspect who had been abused by his own mother as a child. She had quickly sent all information to her team and was hoping she was on the right track.

"Hey Garcia, it's Reid. We got the guy. The case is solved. We're coming back home."

"Oh sweetie that's great! I can't wait to have you all back here with me safe and sound. And not that it's any of my business but I think there's a certain someone who will be happy to see our favourite doctor back safely!", Garcia answered with a noticeable smile to her voice.

"Garcia, what are you talking about?", Reid asked.

"Oh, I don't know, let's just say maybe when you get back you should find the time to grab a cup of coffee and maybe a muffin?" Garcia laughed.

And that was when Spencer felt that by now familiar feeling in his stomach again. Could Garcia be talking about Annie? What did she mean? Had the two women talked about him while he was away? Feeling his heart beat faster at the thought of seeing Annie again he had to take a deep breath.

"Um, yeah, maybe I will. So, um, the team is waiting, we'll be leaving in an hours. So, um, see you when we get back" he quickly stammered, haning up the pone. Feeling a hand on his shoulder he turned around to see Morgan grinning at him.

"Hey pretty boy, what's up. You look a bit flustered." he smiled.

"Um, it's nothing, um, just talking to Garcia to let her know we're on our way back" Spencer replied. "See you later, I need to get back to the hotel to get my go bag.". And with that he quickly left the police station through the main entrance.

Outside, he replayed the conversation he just had with Garcia in his mind. "There's a certain someone who will be happy to see our favourite doctor back safely." Was she serious or just mocking him? He had been unable to get Annie out of his head these past two days. Whenever he closed his eyes he could see her face, her beautiful blue eyes smiling up at him. He checked his watch for the time and thought to himself "Maybe I could still make it back in time before she closes up the cafe for the night."

Annie was just in the middle of lunch hour, happily slicing some tomatoes for a salad when her phone buzzed in her pocket. Wiping her hands on a kitchen towel she quickly checked the new text message:

"_Hey pumpkin, the case is solved, so guess who's already on his way back! xoxo the one and only Garcia_"

A huge smile crept up Annie's face. She immediately scolded herself for it. There was no way of knowing if he would even stop by the cafe again. They had met twice, just because she couldn't stop thinking about him didn't mean he felt the same way. She was acting like a silly teenager again. But she just couldn't stop the butterflies.

A couple of hours later she was just getting ready to close up for the day. And it had been another successful day. She was glad they already had a decent amount of patrons and business was going well. At least one thing she didn't have to worry about. Holly was in the back counting the tips and Annie was just done wiping the last table when she heard the entrance bell ring. Turning around, she wished it was Spencer, although she didn't even want to allow herself that thought. And then her face fell.

Standing before her, in the flesh, was no other than Marcus. As in, her ex-boyfriend Marcus.

"What the hell...?!", was all she could get out.

"Hey baby, what's up?" he said with that smile that once had the power to melt her heart.

"What the hell...?!", she said again. "What are you doing here Marcus? Hell, how do you even know about the cafe? I told you I didn't ever want to see you again!" By now her voice had gotten louder.

"Baby, what kind of welcome is that? I thought you'd miss me by now. And we all know you women say one thing but mean the other", Marcus replied with a smirk.

"And that, Marcus, is exactly why I broke up with you! That you even had the nerve to come here. And stop calling me baby, I am not your baby anymore and I will never be again!" by now she was practically yelling. She couldn't believe he was here.

"Aw, come on babe, you always liked it when I called you that." he answered and took a step forward.

"Don't even come closer Marcus!" she yelled and took a step back. "I'll go into the kitchen and get my bag and when I come back I want you out of here!"

And with that she turned on her heels and practically ran into the kitchen.

"Don't run away. I think we need to talk. I miss you!" he said while following her through the swing door. She turned around.

"Again, there's nothing to talk about Marcus. I want you to leave." she replied. Grabbing her bag she went back outside and abruptly stopped.

Right in front of her was Spencer. Even in the mood she was in, she couldn't help but smile when she saw his face.

"Spencer!" she whispered, feeling herself blush again. "Garcia told me you'd be back soon! I'm so glad you're home safe." she smiled and felt her heart skip a beat when Spencer smiled back.

"Babe, I'm sure you don't mind me eating that, right?" she heard Marcus say and turned around to see him munching a leftover scone she had put in the fridge.

Turning back around at Spencer she saw his smile fade away.

"Um, I'm sorry Annie, I didn't know you had company. Um, I'd better get going." he stammered and quickly turned around, stumbling back out again.

"Spencer..." Annie called after him. But it was already too late. He was out the door and hurrying down the street.

* * *

**I'm sorry I'm ending the chapter like this (or maybe I'm not *wink*). But I'm already on the next chapter, so review and I'll be nice and post another one soon! :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**And here's another chapter for you all! I'm on a roll, haha. I just felt quite inspired today so I wrote another whole chapter, can't quite believe it myself. And I'm already working on the next one. Thanks to all new reviewers and followers, you really make my day. So read, enjoy, review! :D**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Annie could feel the tears well up in her eyes. She knew how that situation must have looked to Spencer.

"Babe, who was that freak?" Marcus asked from behind her, causing her to face him.

"He's NOT a freak and if you don't leave right now I'm calling the police and banning you from my premises!" she screamed at him, tears already streaming down her face.

She saw Holly step out from the back office with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry but I couldn't help but overhear." Holly said. "You alright Annie?" she asked quickly making her way over to her boss. "I don't know who you are or what's going on here but I think it's best if you go." she said, facing Marcus.

"Allright, I'll go. But this is not over Annie!" he growled and with one last look at his ex-girlfriend left through the front door.

All Annie could do was let out a huge sob. Holly quickly embraced her in a big hug and stroked her hair.

"Who was that guy Annie?"

"My ex", was all Annie got out in between sobs.

Not wanting to push it any further Holly continued holding her boss. She didn't need to know the details, as friendly as she was with Annie she still wanted to keep a professional distance. Annie soon recovered a bit and wiped away the tears, still sniffing.

"Thanks Holly. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been here", she said. "Do you mind closing up for today, I'd really like to get home and into bed."

"Sure boss, my boyfriend's gonna pick me up in a minute anyway. You're okay to go to your car alone? If you want you can wait until he gets here and he'll walk you there."

"Thanks, but I'm okay. I just really need to go home."

She hugged Holly one more time, grabbed her bag and walked out the door. She still couldn't believe what had just happened. "I could kill Marcus for being such a jerk", she thought. Why did he have to call her Babe in front of Spencer? Contrary to what he thought she had always hated that nickname. And now Spencer probably thought Marcus was her boyfriend. "Ahhh, this is all screwed up" she thought, tears welling up again as she got into her car. For that one second she had been so happy to see Spencer again. He must've come right to the cafe after getting back from the case. And then Marcus had to ruin it all. She could even understand that Spencer had bolted. Why hadn't she run after him, but she had been to stunned by the situation. And what was she supposed to say anyway? They hadn't even been on a date yet. Feeling another wave of tears she tried to hold them back. This really was screwed up...

Slamming the door to his appartment shut behind him Spencer let out another deep sigh. He couldn't get that scene out of his head and cursed himself once again for being so stupid. "So much for being a genius..." he thought. Had he seriously thought a girl like Annie could be interested in him? He should have known she would have a boyfriend. And of course one he could never compare to. But he couldn't even be mad at Annie, how could he be. All he felt was a deep sadness. For a short time he had been happy, for a few days he had thought this could really turn into something wonderful...

When she heard her doorbell ring the next morning, Penelope Garcia quickly gathered her bag and rushed out of the appartment. Her hot stuff was picking her up this morning since her beloved car "Esther" had once again failed to start. Derek had immediately agreed to give her a ride to work. Stepping out of her building she flashed a dazzling smile at her best friend and got into his car.

"Good Morning hot stuff! Thanks for picking me up, you're a lifesaver!" she greeted him.

"Morning baby girl. No problem but you should really get a more reliable car Pen." Derek answered with a smile.

"Never, ever. I love my Esther, maybe even more than I love you!" she said with a grin. "Do you mind if we drop by Annie's cafe? I thought I could pick up some pie for the team. Plus, I really wanna know what's going on with Reid and her."

"Reid and Annie?" Morgan exclaimed, clearly surprised. "What do you mean "going on with them"?"

"Well my lovely, apparently Reid dropped by the cafe on the day you left for the case and from what I've heard they talked for quite some time before he had to leave." Garcia grinned happily. "And judging by the good mood he's been in lately and the fact that Annie couldn't stop smiling when she told me about it it seems like there is indeed love in the air!"

Morgan was momentarily stunned into silence. Of course he had noticed how the man he considered his little brother had looked at the cute girl but since Reid was always so shy he was very surprised by what Garcia just told him.

"You bet we're gonna drop by baby girl, I really like Annie and I think she could be just what our pretty boy needs." he said with a smile.

20 minutes later Morgan had barely parked the car and Penelope was already jumping out of her seat. She was just so excited to talk to Annie. She always wanted the members of her team to be happy, especially Spencer. He had been through so much in his life already and she thought he finally deserved some love. Leaving Derek behind to lock the car she quickly walked the few steps to the cozy cafe and entered. With Annie nowhere to be seen she rushed to the coffee counter where Holly was arranging freshly baked bagels.

"Hi Holly! How are things? Is Annie in yet?" she enquired.

"Oh good morning Penelope. Yeah, she's in the kitchen, I don't think she'd mind you going in there" the waitress answered with a smile.

"Thanks girl, hey, can you fix us up with two lattes and a couple of slices of that delicious cherry pie?" Garcia asked. "Just give it to my stud muffin over there" she added with a wink, gesturing at Derek who was just entering the cafe. And with that she quickly disappeared into the kitchen.

"Good morning my sunshine!" she exclaimed happily as she caught sight of Annie who appeared to be kneading dough. But when her new friend turned around, Penelope let out a small gasp. The usually glowing girl didn't look particulary happy. In fact she was looking quite sad eventhough she tried to mask it with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Rushing to Annie's side she gushed "What's up sweetie?"

Annie's lower lip started to quiver and before she knew it Garcia wrapped her arms around her in a bear hug and she couldn't hold back the tears.

"Annie sweetie, what the hell happened?"

"Oh Pen, it's all screwed up", Annie managed to get out. Wiping away the tears she managed to pull herself together and continued. "Spencer was here yesterday. He came in when my ex was here as well."

Frowning, Penelope grabbed her shoulders and looked at her intensely. "Sweetie, you're not telling me you're starting things up with your ex again are you? Cause I won't stand by and see Reid get hurt, so if you think you can.."

"No Pen!" she was interrupted by a shocked Annie. "I don't ever wanna see Marcus again. But the problem is, he doesn't get it." she told Garcia and went on to explain the whole story.

When she was finished Penelope looked at her affectionately. "Sweetie, I'm sure it's not as bad as it seems. I take it you like our little genius?" she quietly asked.

Annie blushed and hesitated for a moment.

"Come on girl, admit it. Or why would you be in tears now?" Garcia winked.

Annie couldn't help but smile at the bubbly blonde. "Yeah, I really like him. But how am I ever going to fix this?"

Garcia tilted her head for a moment, contemplating if she should get involved at all. But she just couldn't help it. Those two would be so good together, so she couldn't resist. She suddenly had an idea.

"Okay sweetie. Here's the deal. Do you think you could keep the cafe open longer today for a little private party for our team? We always like to get together for dinner after a solved case so why not do it here? You can make your fabulous lasagna and I'm sure we will find a way for you and Reid to have a little one on one to clear this mess up!" she smiled.

Annie smiled brightly at Penelope, eagerly nodding. "Yeah, I could do that. But are you sure he will even come?"

"Let that be my problem sweetie. You just make sure you have the food ready and look absolutely stunning for tonight!"

"Thanks so much Pen," Annie replied, giving her friend another hug. She already felt a lot better but was still doubtful Spencer would even turn up...

* * *

**Sooo, we're slowly getting there! But a little teaser: The ex is not quite out of the picture yet... xD I'm so excited to hear what you guys think, so don't forget to review! :D **


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you soooo much for the reviews everyone! I'm really happy you enjoy this just as much as I do! Here's another chapter for you, I had sooo much fun writing this one. :D **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

"Annie can you come in here for a minute?" Sarah called from the dining room of the cafe. Annie had called her best friend a couple of hours earlier and asked her if she would mind helping her out for the dinner party for the team. She was still nervous about facing Spencer after what happened last night and could use the support of her best friend. And of course Sarah had immediately said yes. That's what she loved about her, when she really needed her she would come running in a minute. Annie took a last glance around the kitchen and gave a satisfied nod. The lasagna was ready to go into the oven and she hadn't been able to resist whipping up a quick dessert. One of her favourites: Panna Cotta with strawberry sauce.

Stepping outside the kitchen she let out a small gasp. Sarah had volunteered to decorate for tonight and she had truly done an amazing job. In the middle of the room stood a large table, decorated with little pots of Italian herbs. The whole thing was finished off with some thick, white candles, giving the room a cozy atmosphere.

"Oh sweetie, this is so pretty. Thank you so much!" she cried, giving her friend a big hug.

"For you, always!" Sarah replied with a smile. "But look at the time, those FBI guys should be here any minute and since that whole mess last night that jerk caused I'm sure you wanna look extra pretty for Spencer!" she grinned.

"Oh stop it Sarah, I don't even know if he's gonna show up. But you're right, I should probably change into something nicer" she said, and with that rushed off into the back room. Sarah had driven by her appartment earlier to pick up some fresh clothes as she had known Annie would probably need them after spending a day in the kitchen. Now Annie was grateful for it, especially when she opened the bag Sarah had brought and found one of her favourite dresses in it. Dark red with little white flowers one it, it had a flowing skirt and a figure-hugging waistline. It accentuated her curves perfectly. She quickly changed into it and then proceeded brushing her hair, deciding against a ponytail. Putting on just a tiny bit of mascara she looked in the mirror again and nodded approvingly. If Spencer showed up, she would at least feel good about herself, she thought with a smile.

Sitting in the back of the car with Garcia and Morgan in the front Spencer was not in a good mood. He wasn't really up for a big dinner with the team but Penelope had insisted on it. And on the other hand, it might distract him from that horrible incident yesterday. He'd been distracted all day, he hadn't been able to get Annie's with that guy out of his mind. His imagination drove him crazy. All he could think about was Annie in this guys arms. He probably got to kiss her goodnight every day, hold her in his arms. Shaking his head in frustration he tried to get rid of the jealousy he was feeling. He wanted to be the one to kiss her, he wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her close. Trying to distract himself he interrupted Derek's and Garcia's banter.

"Guys, were are we even going?"

"That, pretty boy is a surprise!" Morgan replied with a grin. Garcia had recruited him to help her out with bringing the two lovebirds together. "Besides, we're already here", he added.

Getting out of the car Spencer felt his heart drop. They were standing a few feet away from Annie's cafe and Penelope was already approaching the entrance. But he couldn't do anything about it. If he refused to go in he would have to tell the team about what happened the night before. And that would be way to embarassing. He just hoped the boyfriend wouldn't be there as well. But even if he was, he would have to hide his feelings and face Annie. Even if it broke his heart.

Meanwhile, the other members of his team had arrived in their cars and joined them at the entrance, happily chatting away. Spencer took a deep breath and entered the cafe right behind JJ, already bracing himself for what waited behind the door. But looking up he only saw Sarah, Annie's best friend greeting Rossi and Emily. He started to relax a bit and gave a little wave to Sarah as she said Hi.

"Hey guys, you're already here", he suddenly heard the voice that had haunted him all day. Turning around the sight took his breath away. There was Annie, even more beautiful than he had remembered, smiling at them. She proceeded to shake hands with everyone, warmly inviting them to help themselves to the champagne she had cooled for the occasion. Right now she was shaking hands with Rossi, who then introduced her to their unit chief.

"Hi Annie, nice to see you again. Since he wasn't able to join us last time let me introduce you to Aaron Hotchner." Rossi said.

"Hi Hotch, so nice to finally meet you" Annie slipped out, and immediately her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry Mr. Hotchner, I'm just so used to Penelope talking about Hotch I just didn't think right there", she continued and blushed.

"It's fine Annie, you can call me Hotch. Nice to meet you.", their "bossman" as Garcia also liked to call him replied with a smile, instantly charmed by the young women.

The others were animatedly chatting when Annie finally approached Reid with a shy smile. "Hi Spencer" she almost whispered.

"Um, hi Annie. How are you?" he replied not being able to escape her eyes looking up at him, her eyelids slightly fluttering. His heart was now actually hammering in his chest, he was almost sure everyone in the room was able to hear it.

"I'm fine, you?" she answered with a smile.

God, that smile again. He still couldn't believe the effect this woman had on him. They were suddenly interrupted by Sarah asking everyone to take their seats and tuck into the salad they would have as an appetizer. The group, all hungry from a long day at work, all found a place on the table while Annie quickly excused herself to put the lasagna in the oven. Once inside the kitchen she took a deep breath. She was sure she wouldn't be able to eat a bite from all those butterflies in her stomach. She so wanted to explain to Spencer what happened last night but she wasn't going to do that in front of everyone else, now was she. She just hoped they might be able to get a minute to talk tonight.

Returning to the dining room she found herself seated across from him. She couldn't help the blush that slowly crept up her neck. The team was already enjoying the fresh salad and all assured her how they couldn't wait to taste the main course.

An hour later, everyone, except for Spencer and Annie, had devoured insane amounts of the lasagna, all full of praise for Annie's cooking skills. JJ, Penelope and Emily had all done justice to the wine and were by now quite tipsy, giggling at something Morgan just said. Annie was still shoving the food around her plate, contrary to her usual self she just didn't have an appetite today. Spencer was apparently feeling the same way which made her feel even worse. She really needed a chance to talk to him.

Excusing herself, she picked up some plates to take back into the kitchen. Putting them down on the counter she let out a long sigh. She didn't know how to approach him without making a fool of herself in front of the entire FBI team. Rolling her eyes she started loading the dishwasher.

Outside, Derek had noticed how Spencer and Annie had stolen glances at each other all night. "They're acting like teenagers" he chuckled to himself. Looking at Garcia, he noticed her nodding at Annie, who was just leaving the kitchen, and then at him. And he instantly understood.

"Hey Reid, would you mind giving me a hand with the rest of those plates? Annie has really outdone herself today, the least we can do is help her clean up." he said giving his friend a little shove.

"Um, yeah sure, why not." Reid replied, already getting up. He was nervous about facing Annie again without the diversion of the group, but as long as Morgan was there he wouldn't face the risk of an awkward silence.

Walking into the kitchen with Reid behind him Derek exclaimed: "Annie, I have to say, you're not only pretty, no the girl can cook!"

"Great", Reid thought, "now Morgan's flirting with her..."

"Thanks Derek, I'm glad you liked it. I hope you liked it too Spencer?" she replied with a smile and looked at him hopefully.

"Um, yes, very good. Did you know that many believe the word _lasagna_ comes from the Greek word of _laganon_, meaning a flat sheet of pasta dough cut into strips?" he started rambling as he always did when he was nervous.

Annie felt a smile enter her lips. He was just too cute when he started spitting out random facts. Just then Morgan's phone rang.

"Sorry guys, I gotta take this, excuse me" he said, trying to hide his smirk. He in fact didn't have to take the call, looking at the caller ID he saw it was Garcia. His baby girl sure was clever when it came to playing matchmaker.

"So, I, um, don't wanna be in your way, so I'll just..." Spencer started, already turning to leave.

"No!", Annie cried, immediately embarrassed by the volume of her voice. "I mean, you don't have to go Spencer." she said in a lower tone.

Spencer looked at her, surprised by her reaction. After Annie had finished preparing the main course she had turned off the main lights in the kitchen and only left one two little lights above the stove, giving the room a dim lighting. But he could still make out every feature in her face, her blue eyes captivating him.

"Spencer, about yesterday..." she started.

"Annie, there's nothing to say about yesterday. Really, I didn't want to disturb you and your boyfriend and .." he quickly replied, looking at the floor nervously.

"But, he's not my boyfriend." Annie interrupted him.

Startled, he raised his head again, looking right into her eyes. "But..., but he called you babe..." was all he could get out.

"He's my ex Spencer. Only he doesn't want to accept that."

"So, he's not your boyfriend?" Spencer asked, barely able to hide the hope in his voice.

"No. And he hasn't been for a long time. He dropped by here unannouncend and wanted to get back together. But I told him I wasn't interested. Why should I be when I've met...", she abruptly stopped, blushing deeply.

"Met who?" Spencer replied, hurt showing in his face again. Annie panicked, she couldn't screw this up again. Taking a step forward, closer to him, she whispered...

"When I've met someone like you..."

* * *

**As always, don't forget to review! I'm nothing without your feedback! ;-) Another chapter coming up soon! **


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm back! With a new chapter of course! I have to admit it's a short one as I had a busy day today and I'm practically out the door for a night out with friends but I couldn't NOT update and leave you waiting! :D**

**Thanks for all your wonderful reviews, I'm so touched! **

** I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

"I'll have to give it to you baby girl, that was a smart move", Morgan announced as he sat down next to Garcia. "I just hope those two get it together."

"I know my chocolate god, they would make such a cute couple!", Penelope replied tipsily. Then her smile turned into a frown. "But there's something that worries me Derek."

"What's that Pen?"

"You know what I told you about that nasty scene with Annie's ex? I just talked to Sarah to find out what's going on there and I don't like what she told me..."

Morgan immediately looked worried. From what he heard so far this Marcus guy seemed to be a real jackass. But apparently there was more to it than just the usual stuff between exes.

"Sarah told me that he used to be really possessive of Annie. Seems like the guy has some real issues. He always wanted to know what she was doing, checking her phone for text messages from other guys. Hell, he even followed them on their girl's night out once because he thought she was seeing another guy..." Garcia whispered.

Derek sure didn't like the sound of that. "It could be nothing Garcia, but I've been on the job long enough to know that more often than you think guys like him turn really nasty at one point..." he replied.

"I know hot stuff, I think we really need to keep an eye on that jerk. I can't stand the thought of anything happening to Annie..."

Back in the kitchen Spencer couldn't believe what he just heard.

"When I've met someone like you..."

Taking another step towards him, Annie looked up at him hopefully, her heart beating faster. She was now so close to him she would just have to reach out to touch him, but still something held her back.

Spencer hadn't thought those butterflies could get any worse, but hearing Annie's lips form those words they were stronger than ever before. She was close now and he could again smell that heavenly scent that was unique to her. It sent shivers through his body. Her eyes were focused on him only and in that moment he felt like they were the only two people in the world. He knew she was probably waiting for him to say or do something, so he gathered all his courage and tentatively reached out to her. Her left hand met his halfway and when they touched it was like sparks shooting up his arm right to his heart and he was sure she must notice how he was shaking with nervousness.

"Annie, are you saying..." he began but was cut off by her pulling him closer to her. He could feel the warmth of her body against his as her other hand reached up and gently touched his cheek. His heart skipped a beat when she lifted her hand even further and raised herself up on tiptoes. Intertwining his fingers with hers he lowered his head, still lost in those blue eyes.

Annie could almost feel his breath on her face. Her eyes darted between his soft lips and those eyes that had captivated her from the moment they met. She was still afraid, afraid of letting someone into her heart again. But she also had to listen to what her heart told her. Slowly closing her eyes she leaned even closer, bringing her lips to his.

Spencer could have sworn he had died and gone to heaven. Feeling Annie's lips softly brush his sent shivers down his spine. Closing his eyes, he moved his right hand from hers, tranferring it to the back of her neck. She was now leaning into him, coming even closer. Her lips slightly parted, she increased the pressure on his just a bit. As if it had a life of its own his other hand cupped the side of her head, his fingers running through her soft hair. Loosing himself in her touch he knew what had been missing all his life...

* * *

**Awwww, finally! :D I tried really hard on this scene and I can't wait to hear what you all think! So please review! :) Next chapter will be up tomorrow! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi guys! I'm back! I had a really fun night out yesterday and despite being tired and just a tiny bit hungover *wink* (thank god it's a national holiday today and I have the day off) I couldn't resist and write another chapter. I can't believe we're already in Chapter 10! I hope you all enjoy it! **

**As for me, I'm gonna spend the rest of the day on the couch watching Criminal Minds! ;-)  
**

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

Annie didn't think her heart could bet any faster at this point. Feeling Spencer's hand gently run through her hair she couldn't hold back the small smile creeping up on her lips. Feeling it, Spencer pulled away from her just a bit, their noses still touching. Seeing the look in his eyes, her heart seemed to melt.

Spencer felt like he was in a dream. Looking into Annie's eyes, he could still taste her on his lips. Her mouth, the mouth he still couldn't believe he had kissed a second ago, was curved into a small smile. He couldn't help but return it. Time seemed to stand still.

"I've wanted to do this from the moment I first saw you", she whispered, planting another small kiss on his lips, causing his heart to flutter once again.

Brushing a stray strand of hair from her face, Spencer felt a confidence he had never felt before in his life. Was this really happening? Was this beautiful, warm, wonderful women really in his arms? Pulling her closer, his lips found hers again in a tender kiss.

"I feel the same..." was all he could get out, his voice cracking. Clearing his throat, he continued, "I... I can't believe this is actually happening."

Annie smiled up at him. "Me neither", she whispered and placed her head on his chest, instantly feeling his arms wrapped around her. He was a lot taller than her but their bodies fit together perfectly. His chin on her head, she could hear the beat of his heart through his chest. She couldn't remember anything ever feeling so right.

A smile gracing his lips, Spencer still had difficulty believing this was not a dream. But it wasn't. Here was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on, right in his arms. And it didn't feel awkward, it felt like she had belonged there all along. Placing a kiss on her head, Annie lifted her head again.

"I think you should move those lips of yours over here", she whispered with a smile, placing her index finger on her own lips. Moving his face closer to hers he knew this was just the first of many wishes he would grant her...

"Annie! Where is that delicious dessert you... OH", Sarah stormed into the kitchen. Her face slowly turned from a startled expression to a wide grin. "Seems like YOU already got yourself something sweet." she chuckled, causing Spencer to blush deeply with Annie still in his arms.

Looking at her friend, Annie couldn't help but laugh. "Oh shut up!" she replied.

"Well, well you two. Apparently you two finally got your act together. Not that I wanna disturb the lovely couple, but I've told everyone about the panna cotta and we're all dying to taste it!", Sarah replied, already turning around and leaving through the swing doors.

Looking back up at Spencer, Annie smiled at him. "I think we should probably get back out there".

Spencer nodded, "Yeah, you're right. Oh, Morgan and Garcia are gonna have a field day about this and from what I know about Sarah so far she's probably already out there telling them about us.." he chuckled. But he didn't even care about that. All the teasing in the world could not take away that feeling of pure happiness.

"Ok, wanna help me with dessert?" she asked and Spencer nodded eagerly. Placing another kiss on his lips she pulled away from him and headed for the fridge, his admiring gaze following her every move.

Outside, Sarah joined the others at the table, sitting down next to Morgan. "If you're ever sick of your FBI job you should really consider going into the cupid business." she smirked at him.

Garcia had overheard and quickly leaned in, her face curious. "Sarah! What did you see in there?" she asked eagerly.

"You guys are the profilers, isn't your department called the "Behavioural Analysis Unit"?", Sarah grinned. "So let's see how good you really are..." she added with a nod in Annie's and Spencer direction who were just exiting the kitchen with dessert.

Taking their first bites of Annie's dessert, the team was once again full of praise. The others were oblivious to it, but Spencer could feel Derek and Penelope's eyes following his every move. They also kept a close eye on Annie. Looking up from his plate his eyes met Annie's and she flashed a huge smile at him, causing his heart to beat with hapiness.

Finishing the last sip of her wine, JJ stood up and announced "Well guys, this has been great. And Annie, thank you so much for the delicious food. But I have a husband and kid waiting at home so I guess I'd better head home now." Giving everyone a hug she said goodbye and soon the other team-members started gathering their things getting ready to leave.

"Spencer, you coming?" Morgan looked questioningly at his friend, already putting on his jacket.

"Um, yeah, I guess, since you're my ride, I think I should better" he replied hesitantly. He didn't want to leave, at least not before saying a proper goodbye to Annie.

"Oh Morgan, Spencer actually agreed to help us with cleaning up. Plus, it's never a bad idea for two girls to have an FBI agent nearby at that time of the night." Sarah announced, barely hiding her chuckle.

"Yeah, sure, you're right Sarah." Derek replied with a knowing grin and shot a look at Spencer and Annie who were both already blushing. "So, see you tomorrow Reid! And thanks again for the amazing meal Annie", he added, already escorting his baby girl out the door.

"So you two..." Sarah started. "Let's get this place cleaned up", she continued, already picking up some plates.

Half an hour later, the three of them were done. The dishwasher was loaded and the dining room of the cafe was back to it's normal state. Sarah had noticed her friend and Spencer stealing glances at each other at every chance. Annie seemed really happy and Sarah couldn't help but be happy with her.

10 minutes later they were all crammed into Annie's old VW Beetle. "You should drop me off first Annie, my place is the closest", Sarah said, flashing a smile at her friend.

Spencer felt his heart jump with happiness. He had already resigned himself to the fact that they wouldn't have another moment alone tonight. So when they had let Sarah out of the car 10 minutes later and waited till she was safely inside he turned to Annie and before he knew it was met by her soft lips. Catching his breath when she pulled away he smiled at her.

Putting the car back into gear, Annie asked. "So, where's your place Spencer so I can drop you off?"

"Annie, I'd prefer if we both went to your place", Spencer began, receiving a startled look from Annie.

"My, my Dr. Reid, I wouldn't have thougth you to be that straightforward", she replied with a small laugh.

Spencer's face turned a deep read. "No! No, that's not how I meant it", he stammered, obviously embarrassed. "I'd just rather see you home safely and then grab a cab back to my place." he clarified.

"That's so sweet of you Spencer, but are you sure? It's pretty late already." she said, clearly touched by his concern.

"Yes I'm sure." he replied, squeezing her hand.

15 minutes later they pulled up in front of Annie's appartment building. Grabbing Spencer's hand, she slowly lead the way to the main entrance and faced him.

"So, I guess, this is it for tonight", she whispered, pulling him close.

"Yeah, I guess", Spencer replied, leaning in for a kiss. He just couldn't resist those lips...

Pulling away from her he asked. "So, um, can I have your number and maybe call you tomorrow?"

"Spencer, there's no need to be shy." she smiled. After everything that happened tonight he was apparently still insecure. "Of course you can have my number. But only if I get yours too", she grinned, already getting out her cell phone.

"So, this is goodbye then", she said, giving him one last kiss.

"Goodbye. Sleep well", Spencer replied, watching her disappear through the door. Turning around he felt his heart swell with happiness.

Annie entered her appartment, shrugging off her jacket and dumping her purse on the couch. She just couldn't get that smile out of her face. She couldn't remember when she had last felt this happy. Entering her bathroom she looked into the mirror and saw that her face was practically glowing.

Getting out of the shower a couple of minutes later she went back into her living room. Looking at her purse she had a sudden thought. Fishing her phone out of the leather bag she quickly typed:

_"Miss you already! Sweet dreams! xoxo Annie"_ and hit "send".

Just 2 minutes later, just pulling a pink tank top over hear head and stepping into some pajama shorts she heard her phone beep.

_"I miss you too! I'll call you tomorrow. What's xoxo? Spencer"_, she read.

Laughing to herself she replied.

_ "It means "hugs and kisses""_

Apparently even Dr. Spencer Reid didn't know everything. Just seconds later she received another text.

_"In that case. xoxo, Spencer"_

Smiling to herself Annie got into bed, snuggling up under the covers, certain that her dreams would be filled with images of Spencer. Just as she was about to drift off into sleep, her phone beeped again. "Wow, another message, he really must miss me", she thought to herself, grabbing her cell off the nightstand. Opening the text, her face froze.

_"Hey babe! You might have gotten me to leave yesterday but I'll not let you go that easily. I know we belong together and you'll realise that too! Marcus"_

* * *

**I know, I know. What a way to end the chapter. But the next one is coming up tomorrow! In the meantime, review, review, review! :D**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hi everyone! As promised, here is a new chapter! I really want to say THANK YOU to all you amazing people out there! You're reviews are awesome, I can't even begin to tell you how happy it makes me that you all enjoy the story as much as I do! :) **

**I seriously love you all! **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

For the first few seconds after he woke up the next morning, Spencer wondered what it was that made him feel this good. And then the images from last night caming flashing back to him. Annie... She had really kissed him. The most wonderful girl he had ever met had kissed HIM! Throwing back his blanket he sat up and grabbed his phone, opening the text from last night, and smiled. So it hadn't been just a dream. A huge smile spread across his face as he got up and walked into the kitchen to prepare his essential morning coffee.

"Good morning pretty boy, or should I say, lover boy?" Morgan greeted him with a smirk when he walked into the office an hour later.

Blushing, Spencer dumped his messenger bag next to his desk and sat down. "I don't know what you're talking about Derek", he replied.

"Oh I think we both know exactly what I'm talking about Reid!", Morgan smiled. "Come on, I'm not trying to tease you. You're like a brother to me and when something important happens in your life I want to know."

Looking up at his friend Spencer couldn't hide his smile. "I know, I'm sorry Morgan. But... , this is all a bit weird for me, I'm just not used to something like this happening to me."

"Well, maybe you should start with telling me what exactly happened!"

"Come on Derek, don't pretend Sarah hasn't told you everything already."

"I swear Reid, she hasn't. She just kept dropping hints. Anyways, even if she had, I'd really like to hear it from you." Morgan smiled.

"Well, um, we... um, we kissed last night.", Spencer said in a low voice.

"Wohooo attaboy! Nice man!" Morgan exclaimed.

Again blushing furiously, Spencer replied "Shhh Derek, there's no need for the entire FBI to hear this!"

"Sorry man, but hey, it's something good, isn't it? Don't people in love usually wanna shout their feelings from the rooftoops?"

"Yeah, I guess. But I, I just don't know if..." Spencer said hesitantly, his eyes darting around nervously.

"If what?"

"Well, if she really likes me and isn't already regretting this." he whispered.

Morgan noticed how the big grin had vanished from his friends face and had been replaced by that insecure look he knew so well. "Listen Reid, I don't even want to hear anything like that from you ever again! I don't know Annie very well, but I've seen the looks she gave you all night. And that was a woman clearly smitten. So stop doubting yourself and enjoy this!"

"Hm, maybe you're right", Spencer replied, the smile slowly returning. "We even exchanged numbers. But, I don't even know how this works? Is it too soon to call her?"

"Man, I know there are a lot of guys out there that will tell you to make a woman wait, not be too available. But I say, bullshit! If you really care for a girl, then you might as well show her. And I think you've waited long enough for this, so you don't wanna waste one second playing games, do you?" Morgan said, his voice a bit more serious now.

"No, I don't. I guess you're right. But, how do I do this? Should I ask her out on a date?", Spencer asked.

"Yeah man, I mean apparently you two kinda skipped the classic first date part" Derek chuckled, "but I'm sure she'd love it if you took her out."

"Ok. Thanks Morgan." Spencer replied with a smile, turning to face the pile of paperwork on his desk.

Annie hadn't been able to wipe the stupid grin out of her face all morning. Somehow time seemed to fly by when you were happy, it was already 11 and soon the first lunch guests would be arriving. The only thing that was slightly clouding her mood was that stupid text from Marcus. How dare he think there was a chance of them ever getting back together? She had absolutely no interest in ever seeing him again and she had decided that ignoring him was probably the best way to get the message across. Besides, she had far more important things to think about now. "I wonder when, and if, Spencer is going to call", she thought to herself and almost jumped when right this moment her phone started ringing. Looking at the caller ID, a smile entered her lips and her heart skipped a beat.

"I was just wondering when you were going to call. I thought you already forgot about me." she answered the phone with a chuckle.

"Um, hi! I'm, I'm sorry I didn't call earlier.", Spencer stammered.

"It's fine Spencer, I was just kidding.", she replied. "It's just that I've been thinking about you all morning."

Spencers sighed with relief. "I've been thinking about you too.", he answered shyly. "Um, I was wondering if you were free tonight. I was thinking maybe dinner and if we're in the mood a movie?"

"I'd love that Spencer!", Annie replied happily.

"So, I'll pick you up at your place around 7?"

"Ever the gentleman Doctor!", she laughed. "Sure, that's perfect. I'm sorry but I gotta get back to work, this place is gonna be swarming with hungry guests in a minute. Can't wait to see you!"

"Can't wait to see you too."

Serving a slice of cake and some coffee to one of the many college students in her cafe, Annie looked at the clock above the coffee counter. It was already 5, she should probably get going. Rushing to get her purse, she quickly said goodbye to her waitress Miranda, who had agreed to close the cafe today. She really wanted to take her time getting ready for her date with Spencer. She just wanted to look her best. Getting into her car she felt a rush of joy at the thought of seeing him again in just 2 hours...

Twirling in front of her large bedroom mirror, Annie looked at herself appreciativly. She had chosen a lace-embroidered, short, black dress with a narrow belt at the waistline and decided to wear medium heels tonight. Her open hair was framing her face. She hoped Spencer would like the outfit. Looking at the clock, she noticed it was almost 7, and if Spencer was punctual he would be here any minute...

Getting out of his car, Spencer felt his heart beat faster. He had been thinking about tonight all day and now he was finally here. Walking up to Annie's building, he quickly wiped his moist hands on his pants. It was ridiculous how nervous he was. He had changed 3 times before leaving his place, finally deciding on a casual, dark-grey suit with a purple shirt and tie. He had stopped at a flower shop on the way after Garcia had given him the not-so-subtle hint that girls always appreciated a nice bouquet. Ringing the doorbell, he took a deep breath.

"Hey Spence, come on up! I'm on the second floor!", he heard Annie's sweet voice through the intercom and the door buzzed.

"Ok, thanks", he replied.

Walking up the stairs to her appartment he briefly thought that he should really tell her not to buzz people in before she really knew who was outside. But his train of thought was interrupted when he reached her door and it opened, revealing the woman who had seemed to have turned his life around in just a few days. His heart must have stopped for a minute when he caught sight of her. She looked breathtaking, in a short black dress and heels, her face glowing with excitement.

"You're here!", she exclaimed and his heart melted when she rushed up to him, cupped his face with both hands and planted a kiss on his lips.

Looking at her, still in awe of her beauty, he quickly got a hold of himself. Handing her the flowers he said: "You look so beautiful.."

"Oh Spencer, thanks, you're so sweet! And those are so pretty!", she exclaimed, taking the flowers and hugged him tightly. "You wanna come in for a second? I'll just grab my purse and then we can go."

"Yeah sure", Spencer replied, stepping into her appartment. He was kind of curious to see how she lived. The profiler in him couldn't resist wondering what her place would tell him about her. Taking a look around he smiled. This place fitted her personality perfectly. The walls were painted in a light purple and the furniture was a mix of old and new. The living room was medium-sized with a little open-plan kitchen attached to it. The whole room had a cozy feel to it. His eyes came to rest on two large bookshelves, clearly overstuffed.

"So, you like to read too?" he asked.

"Yeah, I love to read. But recently I haven't really had time for it, with the cafe and all."

"That's great. I try to read at least 5 books a week. If we're not busy with a case, even more." he slipped out.

"5 books a week? Are you kidding me?" Annie gaped. "How is that even possible?"

"Um, yeah. Well, I have an eidetic memory and can read about 20.000 words per minute.", Spencer replied.

"Wow, that's insane! So, eidetic means you remember everything you ever read right?"

"Yes, and also everything I ever hear. It helps a lot at work actually." he smiled.

"I see, Doctor, there's still a lot to learn about you", Annie said with a grin. "And I intend to start right now!" she replied, stepping up to him and looking into his eyes. Standing on tiptoes she hugged his waist and gave him a slow kiss. "But there's one thing I already know: You're an amazing kisser!"

Spencer was stunned into silence. People had called him a lot. Genius, nerd, geek, but no one had ever called him that. But before he could reply Annie grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the door.

"Let's go Spencer! I can't wait to see what you have planned for tonight!"

Following her out the door he had the feeling this was going to be one of the best nights of his life...

* * *

**I hope you liked it! Don't forget to review! I'll try to update again tomorrow! :D**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! So here's a new chapter! I hope you all like it. Thanks for all your reviews! I hope you all like that Spencer is slowly getting more confident and comfortable but I just really love the idea of Annie bringing that out in him. :D **

**Again, you are all amazing and I'm so grateful for the great response! **

* * *

**Chapter 12**

Driving the car with Annie in the passenger seat next to him, Spencer slowly started to relax a bit. He had been kind of nervous about how to greet her, but she had taken that problem right out of his hands. He didn't know why, but despite knowing her for such a short amount of time she made him feel more at ease. It usually took more time for him to make a real connection to people but with her it was different. Turning into the car park of the Indian restaurant he had chosen he hoped she would enjoy herself tonight. He didn't really know a lot about the things she liked and he couldn't wait to get to know her better.

Seeing where they were going, Annie looked at Spencer excitedly. "Indian? Awesome, I love Asian cuisine!"

Relieved that he had apparently made the right choice, he parked the car and quickly rushed around it to open the door for her. Looking up at him she smiled and took his hand in hers. Walking into the restaurant he couldn't help but feel a bit proud to be taking a girl like her out for a date.

Seated opposite Spencer, Annie smiled at the curiousness he was displaying. In the past half hour he hadn't stopped asking her questions. She just wasn't used to this. Most guys she knew loved talking about themselves.

"So Spencer, enough about me. Now I get to ask the questions", she interrupted him with a grin. "Where did you grow up?"

"I was born and raised in Las Vegas." Spencer began.

For the next half hour, over their main course of Tandoori Chicken and Lamb Jalfreezi, Spencer told her about his education, what it was like to graduate high school at age 12.

"So, what do you do when you're not chasing down serial killers?", Annie asked when the waiter cleared their table.

"Well, as I said I read a lot. My mother always used to read to me when I was a kid."

"So, are you still close to your parents?"

"Um, yeah, to my mom I am.", Spencer replied hesitantly. He really didn't want to ruin the night with stories of his schizophrenic mother. Not exactly the best topic for a first date. "So, what about you? You said you were from New Hampshire?", he quickly changed the topic.

"Yeah, I was born in Manchester but my family moved to Portsmouth when I was 2. My mom's a housewife and my dad is a lawyer." she smiled. "I have an older brother, he lives in New York now. I really miss them since I moved here 4 years ago when I landed a job at a large Public Relations Agency in D.C. But I try to visit back home whenever I can."

They were soon so engrossed in conversation, time flew by. Spencer had never experienced anything like it with a woman. He could really talk to her, she wasn't put off by him randomly spitting out statistics. She actually seemed interested in what he had to say. Smiling at her, he couldn't believe his luck.

Annie couldn't remember the last time she had enjoyed a first date that much. Here was a man she could actually talk to. She didn't mind the fact that when it came to some topics she didn't understand half of what he was saying, but he didn't seem to either. She loved how excited he got when he explained something to her, using those beautiful hands of his to emphasize his points. Soon they were the only people left in the restaurant and the waiter was already shooting them impatient looks.

"I think we should probably get going Spencer", she chuckled. "Or I think they're gonna throw us out soon."

"Oh yeah, right. Let me just get the check." he smiled.

A couple of minutes later they were stepping out of the restaurant. The temperature had dropped noticeably and Annie couldn't hide the slight shiver that went through her as the cold air hit her bare arms.

"Are you cold? Here, take my jacket", Spencer asked, already taking it off and gently placing it around her shoulders.

"Thanks.", she smiled up at him. Taking his hand they slowly walked to the car.

"So, I guess it's too late for that movie now?" she said. They had reached his Volvo and she turned around, leaning into him.

His heart gave that by now familiar flutter it always gave whenever she was close to him.

"Um, yeah, I guess so", he replied. He hadn't realized it had already gotten that late. He just wished this night could go on forever. "So, I'll give you a ride home?"

"Yeah sure.", Annie answered. She had immensely enjoyed herself tonight. Looking up at him she smiled. "I really had a great time tonight Spencer."

Leaning into him a bit more she felt his hands on her waist. Apparently he was slowly getting more confident and she raised her head, closing in on his face. The cold she had felt only minutes earlier seemed to vanish as her slightly parted lips met his. His hands were now gently rubbing her lower back as her tongue slowly started exploring his mouth. She still couldn't get over how soft his lips were...

Gently rubbing her lower back, Spencer was still amazed at how good it felt to touch Annie. Feeling her lips on his, he wondered how he had ever lived without her. Closing his eyes he started to relax, loosing himself in their kiss...

Breaking apart, they were both a little out of breath. Annie looked up at him, her eyes sparkling. Spencer felt like he could look into those eyes forever.

"What's on your mind right now?" she asked

"How happy you make me...", he whispered, his voice slightly cracking.

Answering his compliment with a small kiss, she smiled. "Not as happy as you make me!"

Getting out of Spencer's car in front of her building 20 minutes later, Annie couldn't believe the night was already ending. Holding hands, they slowly walked to the main entrance, all the while not being able to take their eyes off each other.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?", they were both interrupted.

Startled, Annie looked at the figure stepping out into the light of the street lamp.

"I thought I made myself clear last night baby."

Annie couldn't believe it. Right in front of them was Marcus. She immediately felt Spencer tense up next to her. Looking at her ex-boyfriend she felt anger rise up inside of her.

"Marcus! What the hell are you doing here?" she said, her voice already rising. "I told you to leave me alone, once and for all."

"You see, baby, I don't believe you. I think you're just saying that because you like the chase. You women all do."

Spencer couldn't believe his ears. During his years at the BAU, he had come across countless guys stalking and harassing women, more often than not girls they had once dated. What Marcus said raised red flags. Protectively stepping in front of Annie, still holding her hand he faced the guy he started to hate with a passion.

"She told you she wants you to leave, and she means it. So I'm only asking you once: Leave now!" Spencer said, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Oh, you think you know what she wants? Don't kid yourself, you really think she'd choose you over me?", Marc laughed, mocking him.

Annie could see the muscles in Spencer's face tense up. She had never seen him like that. She knew she shouldn't be surprised, working for the FBI he was probably used to confrontations like this.

"This is not about me Marcus. This is about Annie. And she's telling you to leave."

* * *

**Sooo, what do you think? Is Reid too out of character? I'm re-watching Season 6/7 right now (for what, the 3rd time haha) and I've noticed how there are some episodes where Reid really comes across as more confident and strong compared to the previous seasons. Actually quite the turn-on. ;-) Maybe it has something to do with that adorable haircut in those seasons? :D**

**So don't forget to review! Next chapter will be up tomorrow!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hi everyone! As I promised, another chapter! Thank you all so much for your great reviews, especially ReadWriteLove715, tannerose5, gabbyreid, 20000 WPM, superdexlock, adorkable-oxo and Summer95. Sorry if I forgot anyone! I cherish every single review! **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 13**

Marcus looked at Spencer, his face in a frown. Taking a step closer he growled at him "You wanna cause trouble skinny boy?"

"Clearly you're the one looking for trouble. I'm telling you one more time to back off. I'm an FBI agent and I will not let you go on like this." Spencer answered.

"A babe, got yourself a federal agent? Allright guys, I'm leaving. For now... But don't think I'm giving you up that easily. We belong together, and you know it." Marcus replied, giving Annie one last look.

She hadn't realised she had actually been holding her breath. "Spencer, I'm really sorry about this. I can't believe he showed up at my appartment. Although I should have known after his text yesterday..."

"Text? He texted you?" Spencer gasped. "And there's nothing to be sorry for. This is not your fault. He's the one with the problem." He looked at her with a worried look.

"Yes, he texted me yesterday when I was home. At first I thought it was another text from you." Annie replied, getting out her phone to show him the message.

Reading it, Spencer's face turned into a frown. "Annie, this guy clearly has a problem. I don't want to worry you but I've seen guys act like this before..."

Annie looked at him, her eyes full of worry. "I'm scared Spencer...", she whispered, her lips quivering.

The look in her face almost broke Spencer's heart. Hugging her closely he felt his anger rise again. He hated to see Annie like this. "Don't be. We'll figure out a way to deal with this. You're not alone, I'm right here and I'm not going to let him bother my girlfriend anymore."

She looked up at him, her expression now full of surprise. "Girlfriend...?"

"Yeah, um, I mean..." he stammered. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to rush you it's just..."

Her beautiful smile returning, she hugged him tighter. "I really like the sound of that... Girlfriend!", she replied with a grin.

Despite the incident with Marcus, Spencer couldn't help but feel his heart burst with happiness. She really wanted to be his girlfriend. Lifting her chin with his right hand he gently kissed her.

"Spencer?", she asked, still catching her breath. "Don't take this the wrong way but, um, I was wondering if you could stay at my place tonight?" Seeing that cute blush creep up his face, she added with a small laugh. "But no monkey business, Doctor! You'll sleep on the couch! I'd just feel safer with you there after what happened tonight."

"Of course I can.", he replied, still holding her tight. "Let's grab my go-bag okay?" He couldn't help feeling the familiar nervousness come back again. Of course there wouldn't be any "monkey business" as Annie had called it. But just the thought of spending the night on her couch made his heart beat just a tiny bit faster. He couldn't deny that feeling Annie's body against his stirred within him, thoughts he never imagined he'd have crossed his mind. He wasn't a virgin, as Morgan had often suggested. There had been that "girlfriend" back when he was 18, but it had been an awkward one-time event and he hadn't really understood what all the fuss was about. With Annie, it was different. She was making him feel things he never felt before. But he wanted, needed, to take things slow with her.

Reaching her appartment a few minutes later, Annie quickly unlocked the door and they both stepped inside. "Do you mind if I change into something more comfy?" she asked him. "It's just, as soon as I get home and start relaxing I always change into sweatpants or my pajamas.", she laughed. "Kind of silly, don't you think?"

"Of course I don't mind." he smiled up at her.

"Allright, I'll be in the bathroom. You make yourself at home, anything in the fridge is yours, glasses are above the sink. And if you wanna watch TV, I have like two hundred channels" she laughed, tossing the remote at him.

Looking after her as she went into the bathroom, Spencer smiled to himself. She wasn't just beautiful, he also loved her personality. She made him feel so at ease. She was just being herself and he felt like he could do the same when he was with her.

Stepping into her bedroom Annie took a deep breath. She couldn't believe Marcus had shown up. Back when they were still dating he had always wanted to know where she was, who she was with and what she did. That was part of the reason she broke up with him in the first place. But the behaviour he now displayed genuinely scared her. But she tried to shake the feeling, she wasn't going to to let him ruin things with Spencer. Just thinking about Spencer made her feel better again. She smiled, thinking about how he had called her his girlfriend. With one last deep breath she approached her dresser and quickly pulled out her favourite pajamas.

Flipping through the channels on Annie's TV, Spencer's mind was still occupied with Marcus' sudden appearance tonight. He was glad Annie had asked him to stay, he felt a lot better being with her, knowing she wouldn't be alone in her appartment tonight. He would talk to Morgan about the incident tomorrow, there must be something they could do to prevent Marcus from bugging her again. His thoughts were interrupted when Annie stepped back into the living room. Glancing up from the TV, his heart skipped a beat. She was wearing light-blue, long pajama pants with a white flower print, a matching light-blue tank top and a loose, grey cardigan. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail. She had undoubtably looked beautiful tonight in her little black dress, but this was different.

Noticing his stare, Annie smiled, looking down at herself. "What?"

"It's just, you seem to look beautiful in anything", he replied honestly.

"Aw, thanks Spencer. So, what's on TV?" she asked, plumping down on the couch next to him.

"Um, I haven't actually found anything yet. There should be a Star Trek marathon on but I guess that's not really your kind of thing."

"TOS, TNG, Voyager, DS9 or Enterprise?" she asked, stunning him into silence. "What? I grew up with an older brother, he practically forced me to watch every single Star Trek show there ever was." she grinned at him. "And somehow I started to really like it."

Spencer knew if there was ever any doubt about it, now he definitely knew he had found his dream girl. "You're too good to be true, you know that, right?" he smiled at her, switching the channel.

"Oh, Next Generation! My favourite!" Annie exclaimed as she saw the familiar face of Jean-Luc Picard on the screen. Moving closer to him, she took Spencer's arm, lifted it up and put it around her shoulder, snuggling up to his chest.

Feeling Annie close to him, Spencer slowly felt himself relax. He couldn't stop wondering what he had done to deserve a girl like her.

"Spencer?", Annie whispered, after a couple of minutes in silence.

"Yes?"

"Thanks for staying here tonight.", she looked up at him.

"I'm glad I'm here", Spencer replied, looking into her eyes.

And then her lips met his in a tender kiss. He cupped his hand around the side of her face, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. As she felt his tongue gently explore her mouth she pressed herself closer to him. Feeling his hand move from her cheek down her shoulders and come to rest on her waist, she felt a shiver run down her spine.

Spencer could feel Annie's body give a small shiver, her upper body now pressed against his chest. Their kisses were now becoming more passionate and he felt both their breathing getting heavier. He was still trying to wrap his mind around all those new feelings when he felt Annie shift her weight and swinging her left leg over his lap. She was now stradling him, all the while never breaking their kiss. Her hands were running through his hair and he felt his body react to her touch as her full breasts pressed against him. Her tank top had slipped up and his fingers were gently stroking the patch of exposed skin on her waist.

Suddenly breaking away from him, her breathing heavy, Annie looked at him. Spencer was worried for a moment, had he done something wrong? But seeing Annie's smile he relaxed..

"Wow, Doctor, that was quite, um, hot." she grinned at him, planting another small kiss on his lips. Annie was still breathing heavily and she knew they should probably stop right now before things got even more heated. She didn't want to rush anything, after all, this was only their first date. So looking deep into his eyes she said: "I really don't want you to take this the wrong way, but I really don't want to take things too far tonight, allright?"

Blushing, Spencer replied. "Um, no, sure. You're right. So, back to Star Trek?" He actually felt a bit relieved that she apparently wanted to take things slow as well. He knew it would happen someday and when it happened he wanted it to be special. For both of them.

"Yeah, back to Star Trek." she grinned, getting off his lap and snuggling up next to him.

Half an hour later he could tell from Annie's even breathing that she had fallen asleep. Smiling to himself, he gently picked her up in his arms and carried her to the dark bedroom. Stirring slightly in her sleep, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Laying her down on the bed, he couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked. Her sleeping face was dimly lit by the moonlight coming in through the window. Pulling away from her he tried to leave the bedroom as silent as possible. Almost at the door, he turned around when he heard Annie's voice.

"Spencer?"

"Yes Annie? Go back to sleep, I'll be right out here."

"I know I said you'll have to stay on the couch. But, but will you stay here with me?" she replied, her voice still sleepy.

"If you're sure?"

"Yeah, I feel safer when you're next to me."

"Ok, I'll just change into my sweatpants." he answered, already turning around to get changed.

Returning to the bedroom a minute later, he thought Annie was already asleep again and briefly thought going back on the couch. But as he still hesitated Annie whispered from the bed.

"What are you doing Spencer? Get in here, I don't bite."

He smiled to himself, walking over to the bed. Sliding under the covers next to her she immediately snuggled up to him, her head on his chest. Wrapping his arm around her he planted a kiss on her forehead, his eyes already closed. Listening to her even breathing he felt his heart swell with happiness...

* * *

**Things are slowly heating up! :D And I just couldn't resist throwing in Star Trek, hehe. Can't wait to hear what you all think of it! ;-)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi to all you wonderful people! Because it's Sunday, and it's been raining all day and I felt inspired I just had to give you another chapter! ;-) Hope you all had a great weekend and wishing you a not-too-stressfull Monday!**

**Love you all!**

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

Chapter 14

Waking up the next morning, Annie felt Spencer's arms still around her. Carefully sitting up as to not disturb him, she let out a big yawn and looked at the man lying next to her. Taking in every square inch of his face, she smiled. He looked even cuter when he was sleeping. Looking at her alarm clock on the night stand she saw it was already 7am. She didn't know what time Spencer had to go to work so she decided to wake him.

Planting a small kiss on his lips, she whispered. "Good morning sweetie. Time to wake up."

Stirring, Spencer was disoriented for a second. Opening his eyes he saw Annie just above him, the sunlight streaming in from the window framing her face. Smiling at her, he still had a hard time believing this beautiful woman was now his girlfriend. Stretching himself, he rose and propped himself up against the headboard. "Good Morning. What time is it?"

"7am. I hope you're not mad I woke you up but I thought you might like some breakfast before you went to work. How does coffee, orange juice and banana pancakes sound?"

"Sounds great. Um, you think I could use your shower?"

"Sure, let me just grab you a towel and I'll start on the breakfast." she smiled.

Sitting at the tiny table in her kitchen 20 minutes later, Spencer realized he could really get used to this. Usually his mornings were spent alone with just coffee and a couple of newspapers. He enjoyed starting the day with Annie. The only thing dampening his mood was the incident with Marcus from last night, and he knew something needed to be done.

"So, should I give you a ride to work?" he asked, munching on his pancakes.

"Yeah, I guess." she answered, slightly frowning. "Spencer, do you think Marcus will turn up again like he did yesterday?"

Spencer sighed. "Annie, I really wish I could tell you he won't. But I can't. From the behaviour he has displayed so far it seems like he is the classic example of a rejected stalker. They usually pursue their victims in order to reverse, correct, or avenge a rejection, like in your case, the break-up. The continual clinging to a relationship couples with the entitlement of a narcissistic personality, and the persistent jealousy of the paranoid personality. "

Seeing Annie's look, he quickly added. "I'm sorry Annie, I was going into profiler mode there for a minute. What I'm trying to say is, Marcus can't seem to accept that your relationship has ended. In his mind, you still love him. And there is basically nothing you can say or do to convince him of the contrary. I want you to know, this is not your fault!"

"So, do people like that ever turn violent?", she asked, the fear in her voice obvious.

"It's not uncommon for stalkers to turn violent when they realize their advances are not getting them the results they are expecting.", Spencer replied, talking her hand. "Annie, I'll do anything in my power to protect you from him and make sure he stops bothering you. First of all, you need to save any text or voice message you get from him. It will be evidence if you decide to get a restraining order against him. Which I think you should do."

Annie's lower lip slowly started to quiver. She just couldn't believe this was happening to her. Was Spencer really right? Was there a chance Marcus might actually hurt her? But she believed Spencer, this was what he did every day, these were the kind of people he encountered on a regular basis. She couldn't hold back the tears that slowly started streaming down her face.

Seeing the woman who had brought him so much happiness so scared almost broke Spencer's heart. He quickly rushed over to Annie, hugging her tight. Burying her face in his chest, she started to sob. "Shhh, Annie, please. I promise you, everything is going to be alright." he whispered, desperately hoping he would be able keep his promise...

After calming down Annie and dropping her off at the cafe with the promise to call him immediately if Marcus showed up again or even just texted her, Spencer arrived at the BAU and quickly made this way to Derek's desk.

"Morgan, I need to talk to you."

"What's up kid?" Morgan replied. "How did the big date go?"

"It was great", he smiled. "But her ex showed up when we got back to her place." he continued with a frown. "After she made it clear to him things are over. He also sent her a text last night. I'm worried Morgan. He shows the classic tendencies of a rejected stalker..."

"Garcia told me about that guy. And I agree with you Reid, I don't like the sound of it. I don't like it at all..."

"And she's scared Morgan." Spencer continued. "After I told her how these things can end..."

"What the hell did you tell her Reid?"

"Well, she asked me if guys like him can turn violent and.."

"And you told her yes?" Derek interrupted him.

"What was I supposed to do Morgan? Lie to her? And I want her to be careful, how is she supposed to do that when she doesn't know all the facts?" Reid replied, this voice helpless.

"I know Reid, you're right. I'm sorry. So did you tell her to try and get a restraining order?"

"Yeah I did. I offered to go to a lawyer with her this afternoon, if Hotch gives me the time off."

Stepping out of his boss's office, Reid felt relieved. Hotch had given him the latter half of the day off. Looking at his watch he saw that it was almost noon. Grabbing his cell, he quickly dialled her number. Even after 10 rings, she didn't pick up. Slightly worried, he went into Garcia's office.

"Hey Garcia, can you get me the number of Annie's cafe? She's not answering her phone and I'm a bit worried."

"Oh yeah, Derek told me about that creepy ex-boyfriend of hers. And of course I also didn't like what Sarah him... So, phone number coming right up sweetie." Looking at Spencer's face, she added: "Don't worry hun, I'm sure she's just elbow-deep in pie dough or something."

Dialling the cafe's number herself, Penelope soon had Holly on the phone.

"Hi Holly, Penelope Garcia here, remember me? Is Annie there?", she asked, turning on the speakerphone.

"Oh, hi Penelope, she went out about half an hour ago because she had forgotten her phone at home. Miranda, who had the morning shift gave her a ride and she was gonna take her own car back here. In fact, she should be back any minute."

"Allright, thanks sweetie!" Garcia replied and hung up.

Just then his phone started ringing. "It's her!" he exclaimed, already picking up.

"Annie! Are you okay? I tried calling you but..." he started but was cut off by the sound of her sobs. Still getting no reply, he repeated: "Annie?! What's going on?!", his voice slightly panicking.

"Spencer...he was here...he was in my appartment..."

* * *

**I know, I know, another cliffhanger! But the next chapter will be up soon! Don't forget to review! ;-)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey everyone! Sorry again for the cliffhanger! ;-) But thanks for all your great reviews! Here's a new chapter! I'm probably gonna start on the next one right away but I don't know how long it will take me and if I'll be able to update tomorrow since work is crazy right now... But I'll try my best!**

**Some swearing in this chapter, hope this is still in accordance with the T-rating. **

**Thanks to Music Box Physicist for pointing out I missed 2 Star Trek series in Chapter 13, I corrected that now! Don't tell my husband I forgot to include those, haha. :D**

**Enjoy! **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

Feeling his knees go weak, he croaked: "Annie? Is he still there?

"No..., no..., he left. But, but... my appartment, it's a mess..."

"Listen to me Annie! Garcia is dispatching a police car to you right now, I'm on my way. Can you lock the door?" Spencer said, trying to remain calm.

"Yeah, I already have...", Annie replied in between sobs.

"OK, good. Keep talking to me, I'm right here.. " he said, frantically gesturing to Morgan, who shot him a questioning look but followed him out the door.

"He was in her appartment..." Spencer quickly explained.

"Son of a bitch..." Morgan cursed, already jumping in the driver's seat of his car.

Reaching Annie's building they already saw the police car outside. Practically jumping out of the car, Spencer raced to the entrance and up the stairs to her appartment. Morgan was right behind him.

"Annie!?" Rushing through the open door, he saw her sitting on the couch they had cuddled on yesterday. Relief washed over him as he saw she was uninjured. A female officer was next to her, gently patting her back. Her male colleague was standing in front of her, taking down notes. Annie looked up at him, her eyes puffy from crying. He felt his heart ache as he quickly rushed over to her, kneeling before her and taking her in his arms.

"Spencer...", she hugged him tightly.

The room was silent except for Annie's quiet sobs against Spencer's chest. Morgan could feel the anger rise up in him as he looked around him. The appartment was a mess. There was broken glass and chinaware on the floor, a chair was lying in the middle of the room and the TV had been turned over and smashed. He looked at Spencer who had followed his gaze and could see worry, hurt and anger in his friend's face all at the same time.

Spencer was trying hard to keep calm. The last thing Annie needed now was him freaking out. As her sobs slowly quieted down, he pulled away from her just a little bit and she lifted her head.

"Annie, tell me what happened.", he asked, gently wiping the tears from her cheeks.

She snuffled, still holding on to him. "I, I came back here because I forgot my phone this morning. I knew it was in the kitchen so... so I just rushed in here and must have left the door open. I put the phone in my purse and when I turned around to leave again, he was standing right there..", she replied, pointing to where Morgan was standing. "I..., I told him to leave, but he kept telling me that he loved me and that we belong together. I told him no again and that's when he started yelling at me and taking apart the appartment."

"Son of a bitch...", Morgan repeated what he said earlier, shaking his head. "Sweetie, go on, what happened then?"

"I really thought he was going to hurt me... I started screaming for help and shortly after that there was that noise in the hallway, I don't even know what it was. But it kind of startled him and he just ran...", she replied, tears filling her eyes again. "And then I called you..." she added, looking at Spencer.

It broke his heart to see her this way. He didn't even want to think about what could have happened had the circumstances been different but images from the cases he had encountered over the years filled his mind. Trying to push them away he looked at Annie and kissed her gently.

Despite the circumstances, Morgan couldn't help but smile at the image. It was just so weird to see their little genius with a girl. He was happy for them, but they needed to get this Marcus guy... His phone ringing, he saw it was Garcia and he quickly picked up.

"Morgan!?" she screeched down the line. "What the hell happened? Is Annie okay? Why isn't anyone telling me what's going on?"

"Relax baby girl, Annie's okay. That jerk trashed her appartment... Listen, I need to go. Annie needs Spencer now so I gotta talk to the officers here and make sure we get this guy... If you want to help, do a background check on Marcus. I want you to find everything you can on him, every little detail could be important."

Clearly relieved, Garcia exhaled. "Okay hot stuff, already typing away. Call me when you need anything else."

Annie still felt herself shaking but just being in Spencer's arms calmed her down immensely. She had felt so cold after Marcus had left the appartment, but Spencer's body against hers slowly warmed her up. She was still in shock at what had happened. She was still scared, but noticed how another feeling slowly rose in her: Anger. Straightening herself up, she wiped away her tears one more time and looked at Spencer. "I can't believe he'd do that! How dare he? How dare he come to my house and act this way?"

Spencer could still see the fear in her eyes but there was something else. She was stronger than he had thought. He couldn't help feel proud of her as she slowly got up. Walking over to Morgan and the police officers, she demanded "What are you going to do about this?", her legs still shaky.

"Easy there sweetie!" Morgan exclaimed, steadying her. "The officers got your statement and they already took some pictures of the appartment for evidence. Cops in the area are alerted. Penelope is trying to pull all the info she can find on Marcus. I promise you, we'll get him."

"Okay, I'm sorry. I'm just so angry!" she burst out. "Excuse me for a minute, I'm gonna go wash my face", she added, feeling her lips quiver again. She hated this. She didn't want to cry. Not because of Marcus! She quickly turned around, walking towards the bathroom.

Looking into the mirror, she let out a small groan. "Oh wow Annie, what a beauty. Way to make an impression...", she smirked at her own image. Her whole face was red, her eyes puffy and her mascara smudged.

"It is not beauty that endears, it's love that makes us see beauty."

She turned around at the sound of Spencer's words, looking at him.

Taking his hand, she couldn't help but ask: "Where do you always get that stuff?"

"Well, that particular quote is from Leo Tolstoy." he grinned. "You're always beautiful to me Annie."

Wrapping her arms around him, she placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Burying her face in his chest she let out a deep sigh. "I still can't believe this happened Spence..."

Stroking her hair, he replied. "I know Annie. But it'll be allright again." And with a little smile added. "You just called me Spence..."

Looking up at him, she asked. "What? You don't like that?"

"No, it's just, no one's ever called me that except for JJ. But coming from you it sounds different... Better."

After just standing there, close to each other, they heard a knock on the bathroom door.

"Hey you two. Feel a bit better Annie?" Morgan asked, standing in the doorway.

"Yeah, a bit. Now that Spence is here."

"Spence, hm?" Morgan chuckled. "Look guys, I just talked to Garcia. She found out where Marcus lives now and they sent a squad car over but he's not home. We can't get a location on his cell phone right now, maybe he's switched it off. But as soon as he turns it on again we'll try to close in on him." Seeing Annie's worried look he added. "I guess it's better if you don't stay here tonight."

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing." Annie whispered.

"You'll stay with me." Spencer immediately offered.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Morgan said. "And guys, I know you might not feel like it right now but JJ called when she heard about what happened. She thought you both could do with some distraction so she asked if you wanted to come over for an early dinner after Annie has packed some things."

"I don't know Morgan..." Spencer said. "Annie's still pretty shaken up and..."

"Spencer, you know there's no use in you two going home and brooding over this. It'll do you both good to clear your minds." Morgan replied. "And apparently little Henry overheard JJ talking about "Spencer's girl" on the phone and he seems quite curious." he added with a smile.

"Who's Henry?" Annie questioned.

"He's JJ's son, and Reid's godson", Morgan said.

"You have a godson?" Annie looked at Spencer who nodded. "How old is he?"

"He's three", Spencer replied.

"Oh, how cute. But Morgan, I don't want to put JJ or her family in any danger, what if Marcus follows us?", she asked with a worried look.

"There's no indication that he's anywhere near or that he's even armed. JJ and Spencer are both FBI agents and JJ's husband is a police officer." Morgan explained.

"Well, I guess you're right, I could use the distraction. And I really wanna meet this little man." Annie announced to both of them, giving Spencer the first smile since he had arrived...

* * *

**Well, what do you think? I know the whole age thing with Henry (and maybe even Spencer) isn't completely accurate but hey, it's my story and I hope you don't mind. ;-) As always, don't forget to review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hi everyone! Here's another chapter for you! It's a short one as I had kind of a busy day, plus it's our 1st wedding anniversary today and I gotta get ready for a romantic dinner with my husband! 3 :D**

**Thanks for all the great reviews, you guys are awesome! I'm so happy you all like this story so much! **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 16**

Walking to his car, Spencer put his arm around Annie's shoulder. She was still a little shaky on her legs, eventhough she wouldn't admit it. He could tell by the way her eyes scanned the area. He knew exactly what she was thinking because he was doing the same thing. She was making sure Marcus was nowhere near. It made him sick just thinking about what could have happened today. Helping Annie get into the car he tried pushing those thoughts from his mind. The last thing she needed was him freaking out.

Sitting in the car next to Spencer, his right hand in her lap holding hers, Annie slowly started to relax. Flapping down the sunscreen in front of her she looked into the mirror attached to it. She had apparently splashed enough cold water on her face to soothe her swollen eyes and had applied a little bit of makeup before they left. Her eyes still looked kind of puffy but she was halfway presentable again.

"You look fine Annie", she heard Spencer say next to her.

"I know it's silly Spence, I shouldn't be worried about stuff like that. But I don't want to freak people out, especially not your little godson." she replied, halfway smiling.

"You won't. I'm sure he'll love you."

Parking the car in front of a beautiful townhouse, Spencer announced: "This is it. JJ's and Will's place. You're ready to go in?"

"Yeah, I am. But first, let me do this", she replied, leaning over to kiss him.

Looking into her eyes, he briefly forgot all the worries currently tormenting his mind. Stepping out of the car, they quickly approached the house and rang the doorbell and were greeted by Will.

"Hi Reid", he said, his thick southern accent instantly noticeable.

"Hey Will. Annie, this is Will, JJ's husband. And Will, this is my...", hesitating slightly he continued "girlfriend." He still had to get used to saying that.

"Hi Annie, nice to meet you. Why don't you come..." Will started, but was suddenly interrupted by a little blonde boy running towards them, screeching loudly.

"Spencer!", the little guy yelled, bumping into his godfather and hugging his leg.

Bending down, Spencer hugged Henry. "Woah, woah! Hey Buddy! You almost knocked me down there, did you get stronger since I last saw you?" he smiled with a little wink in his eyes.

"Yes! See how strong I am?" Henry said in a serious voice, lifting his arms. "Spencer, can we play magic again?"

Annie was immediately charmed by the little boy and even more so by the way Spencer interacted with him.

Seeing Henry shyly look up at Annie, Spencer said. "Hey, there's someone I want you to meet Henry. This is my friend Annie. You think she could play with us?"

"Hi Henry.", Annie said, smiling at Henry and giving him a little wave.

Thinking about Spencer's suggestion, Henry tilted his head and looked at Annie again. With a small nod he smiled. "Okay." And with that, he was already running to the back of the house, screeching "Moooommmyy, Spencer gonna do magic with me!"

Getting back to his feet Spencer took Annie's hand.

"My god, he's cute." she smiled at him. "Just like his godfather."

Following Will into the house Annie immediately felt comfortable in their home. Looking up she saw JJ coming out of the kitchen. Approaching her, she surprised Annie with a big hug. "Are you alright honey?"

"Yeah, I guess.." Annie replied, her voice slightly cracking, moved by how everyone cared about her. "Thanks for the invite, I really hope I'm not intruding..."

"Are you kidding me?", JJ smiled warmly. "You're part of the BAU family now." she added, laughing.

After JJ declining Annie's offer to help with dinner and recruiting Will instead, Henry had taken both their hands and pulled them into the living room. Getting comfortable on the large couch, Spencer was showing his godson a new magic trick as Annie watched them. She smiled at the sight of Henry trying to figure out where the toy car came from Spencer had just made appear out of nowhere. Soon, all three of them were laughing, with Henry slowly warming up to Annie.

"Are you feeling better?" Spencer asked, gently stroking her hand.

"Yeah, you'd have to have a heart of stone not to let this little guy cheer you up." she smiled, planting a small kiss on his lips.

"Mommy! Annie give Spencer a kiss!", Henry screeched at JJ who was just entering the room, a casserole in her hands.

Seeing both their faces blush, JJ gave a little laugh. "Yeah, that's cause he really likes her sweetie."

"Like daddy likes you?" Henry asked.

"Yeah, I guess honey.", JJ smiled with a glance at the young couple. Despite all the drama that had been going on today she could see how happy Annie made Spencer. She had never seen their little genius like this. Spencer had always been like a little brother to her and she hoped this whole thing with Annie's ex would soon be resolved so they could truly enjoy their happiness. Setting the casserole on the large table in the dining area of the living room she announced. "So, who's hungry?"

Soon they were all tucking in. Annie hadn't realized how hungry she was until the smell of JJ's home-cooked meal filled her nostrils.

"This is really good", she smiled at JJ.

"Thanks hun, I take that as a huge compliment coming from you.", JJ replied. "I've told Will about the great night we had at your cafe. I really wanna take both him and Henry there on a Saturday for lunch."

Annie felt herself relax even further as they all fell into an easy flow of conversation with Henry entertaining them all with adorable comments and faces. Will had opened a bottle of wine and she'd decided to have a glass, which helped calm her nerves even more.

It was already dark outside when JJ noticed the time. "Almost 8. I guess I gotta get this little man here to bed!", she smiled.

"No, I want Spencer to bring me to bed and read me a story!", Henry exclaimed loudly.

"Okay buddy. But first, give mommy and daddy a goodnight kiss." Spencer told him with a laugh.

"Okay!" Henry smiled, getting up kissing both his parents goodnight. Looking at Annie he blew her a little kiss with his small hands. "Goodnight Annie!"

"Woho Spencer, you better watch it, I think you got competition there." Will laughed, as Henry already pulled Spencer up the stairs.

Back in the kitchen, Annie insisted on helping JJ clean up. "I have to do something to take my mind off things, please let me help."

"Yeah, you're right. How are you feeling?", JJ asked her with a soft look.

"Better. But still worried. I still can't get my head around what happened today." Annie replied. "And you're all so nice to me eventhough you hardly know me. And Spencer, he's just so amazing. I mean, we haven't known each other that long and now he has do deal with all this. I just don't want to burden him with my problems..." she continued, a deep sigh leaving her lips.

Looking at her, JJ took a step closer and gave her another hug. "Annie, don't say that. You're not a burden to anyone, especially not Spencer. I've known him for a long time now and I've never seen him as happy as he is with you, despite the circumstances. He really cares about you."

"I know, and I care about him. It's crazy, really. I doesn't even feel like we met less than 2 weeks ago.", Annie smiled.

"That's what happens when you find the right person." JJ winked.

As they both started loading the dishwasher in silence, Annie wondered about what JJ had said. Could she be right? They had only started dating, hell, they hadn't even had sex yet... Blushing at the thought she smiled. It was a good thing people couldn't read minds. But she really felt connected to Spencer in a way she never had to anyone. Thinking about the way he kissed her and the look in his eyes when he gazed at her gave her butterflies all over again.

Excusing herself to go to the bathroom, Annie left the kitchen. Seeing Spencer come down the stairway she smiled.

"Henry's in bed. Do you want to go home?" he asked.

Wrapping her arms around his neck she stood on tiptoes and planted a small kiss on his nose. "Yeah, let's go home. I'm kind of tired."

Feeling Spencer's arms around her waist, holding her tight she smiled to herself. Maybe JJ was right after all...

* * *

**Sooo, again no cliffhanger this time! ;-) **

**And I know, it's kind of fluffy and sweet but I guess I was just feeling romantic today haha. But don't worry (or do?), the drama is not over yet...**

**Don't forget to review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hi everyone! Here's another chapter for you! Thanks for the anniversary wishes, we had a really great night at our favourite restaurant. And my husband gave me the most beautiful bouquet of flowers! :-) I don't know if I'm gonna be able to update tomorrow since I have a big presentation at work on Friday and have a ton of stuff to prepare for it. So don't be too mad if there's no new chapter tomorrow! **

**Thanks for all your great reviews and hello to all new followers! **

**Love ya! **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 17**

Walking up the stairs to his apartment, Annie was curious about Spencer's place. As they reached the top floor and approached the first door on the left it seemed like he had read her mind.

"Um, so, this is me." he mumbled. He was kind of nervous about what Annie would think about it. He had never brought a girl to his home, well, except for Penelope, Emily or JJ, but that didn't really count. Opening the door he gestured for Annie to step in.

Walking through the door, which opened directly into the living room, Annie took a look around. It was so different from her place, but she loved it instantly. The avocado-green walls gave the room a cozy feel and fit perfectly with the brown leather couch and armchair. There were two large windows at the far end of the room, which she was sure would let a lot of light into the room during daytime. The walls were lined with bookshelves but apparently he had run out of space so some books were stacked on the floor next to them. To her left was a small kitchenette.

Turning around to Spencer, who was just dumping the bag she packed on a dark orange velvet chair next to the door, she smiled "This is sooo cozy Spence."

Relieved that she liked his place he smiled back. "Thanks, I'm glad you like it."

"How long have you lived here?" she asked, taking a couple of steps into the room, already scanning the bookshelves.

"Um, almost 6 years now. I moved in when I first started at the FBI." he replied. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Yeah, some water please", she smiled, as a picture frame of a blonde woman and a little boy with black-rimmed glasses and dressed in a button down shirt caught her eye. "Is this you?" she asked as Spencer handed her a glass.

"Yes, that's me when I was about 8." he grimaced.

"You look so cute Spence!" Annie gushed. "Is this your mom?"

"Um, yes, that's my mother." he replied.

"So, does she still live in Vegas?"

"Yes, she does."

"So, do you visit each other a lot?"

Spencer knew he had to tell Annie about his mom sooner or later. He hadn't planned on doing it so early in their relationship, he was always afraid of people turning their back on him when they heard about her. But he also felt bad hiding it from her, especially when she had just asked him an outright question.

"Um, I try to visit her when I can. But she has never visited me here. Um, it's kind of complicated..." he started.

Sensing his hesitation, she interrupted him. "Spence, this is apparently a difficult topic for you, if you don't want to talk about it that's fine."

He couldn't help but feel touched at her thoughtfulness. It kind of made him want to share this with her. Gesturing for her to sit down on the couch he started: "No, I want to tell you. It's just, I don't want to freak you out."

"Freak me out? Hell, we basically spent the past two days trying to get rid of my crazy stalker ex, I should be the one worried about freaking anyone out..."

Looking at her, Spencer smiled. "You're not freaking anyone out Annie." Taking a deep breath he looked into his lap and continued. "Okay, the thing is. My mom isn't well. She's a paranoid schizophrenic." He almost didn't dare look at Annie's face, too afraid to see her reaction.

Annie could sense how hard this was for him and gently took his hand in hers. "Go on. If you want to..."

Looking up at her face he saw the loving look in her eyes and continued. "It started even before I was born. My dad left us when I was 12, and then I had to take care of her. When I was 18, I had her institutionalized... I've only known her being sick. But sometimes I still feel guilty about making that decision eventhough I know it's better for her... I write her a letter every day."

Annie could hear the hurt in his voice and see it in his face. It almost broke her heart hearing what a difficult childhood he must have had. "Spence, I'm so sorry." she began, gently stroking his hand. "I don't know why you would think that would freak me out. This doesn't change anything. She must be such a strong woman, despite her illness, because she raised you to become this wonderful man."

Spencer felt relief wash over him at Annie's words. He now felt kind of silly for ever thinking she would react any differently. Looking into her eyes he cupped her face with both his hands and leaned in. "I don't even know what I've done to deserve someone like you..." he whispered, gently kissing her.

Pulling away from him to catch her breath she grinned at him, trying to lighten the mood. "I was just gonna say the same thing."

"So, listen, as you just said you write to your mom every day, how about you do that while I go take a shower? I don't want her hating me from the start because I keep her son from writing to her." she winked, making Spencer laugh. He was amazed at her ability to be so cheerful after everything that had happened today.

"Sure, I have a bathtub, so if you want you can take a bath. I prefer showers but according to Garcia baths have a relaxing and calming effect. She even gave me one of those scented bubble bath bars once, insisting I should try it. It should still be in the bathroom, you can use it if you like." he replied, suddenly blushing when the image of Annie in his bathtub flashed in his mind. "But, um, whatever you want, um..." he stammered.

"Oh, a bath actually sounds great. You're sure you don't mind?", Annie replied, oblivious to his train of thought.

"Um, yeah, sure. Let me just grab you a towel." he replied as he got up and bumped into the coffee table, still flustered.

Immersing herself in the hot water, Annie felt all the muscles in her body slowly relax. Spencer had actually managed to unearth the bubble bath bar from the depth of his bathroom cabinet. They had both laughed, it was truly only Penelope who would give a rose-scented bubble bath to a man. Closing her eyes, she couldn't help but think about all the events of the day. As bad as it had been, she had truly enjoyed the evening at JJ and Will's house. She was still amazed at how welcoming they had been. If the other BAU members were even half that nice she could understand why Garcia always referred to them as one big family. Thinking about little Henry immediately lifted her spirits again and she hoped she would get to spend more time with Spencer's little godson.

After leaving Annie in the bathroom, Spencer had immediately sat down at his desk in the living room to write the letter to his mom. He hadn't thought he would tell her about Annie this soon. She often encouraged him to get out more and find a woman to make him happy. He knew she worried about him being alone and focusing on work so much. He hadn't wanted to get her hopes up in case things didn't work out with Annie. But the more time he spent with her the more he felt like this was turning into something really serious. He felt like he had known her for much longer than the actual time since they met. And with every minute he grew more confident. His mother always told him: "One day you'll meet the right girl Spencer, and if you do you'll know it by the way it feels like she is what's always been missing." Picking up the fountain pen he always used when writing to his mom, he continued:

_I have some more news that I hope will make you happy. I've met a girl mom. Her name is Annie and ... ..._

40 minutes later, Annie grabbed the towel as she was getting out of the bathtub. Wrapping it around herself she looked in the mirror. She felt and also looked a lot more relaxed than she had earlier. "I have to tell Spence that Garcia was right", she chuckled to herself. Realizing she had forgotten to bring fresh underwear and her PJ's into the bathroom she opened the door to retrieve her bag from where Spencer had put it earlier. Walking into the living room, she smiled. She loved how cute he looked when he was concentrating on something.

"Don't mind me, I'm just getting my bag." she said, quickly walking over to the chair. "Are you still writing that letter?" she asked, coming to a halt in front of him.

Looking up, Spencer's jaw dropped and he felt himself blush once again. Only he didn't think he had ever actually blushed into such a deep shade of red. In front of him was Annie, her hair in a messy ponytail, wrapped in a towel that ended mid-thighs. Her skin was still slightly wet and he felt himself staring at a tiny trop of water making it's way down her collarbone and disappearing into her cleavage. Swallowing hard, he tried to compose himself.

"Um, yes, I was just about to finish it." he stammered.

"Great, I'll just dressed, be right back." she replied, planting a quick kiss on his lips and disappearing into the bathroom again.

Still feeling his heart hammer in his chest Spencer quickly signed the letter and put it into an envelope...

Coming out of the bathroom, this time dressed in her pajamas, Annie had insisted on switching on the TV. "I just have to watch the news at least once a day. You can thank my dad for that, he does the same." she had laughed, cuddling up to him on the couch. But soon she wasn't able to hide the big yawns escaping her mouth.

"You want to go to bed? It was a tiring day for both of us." Spencer said as he looked at her.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I am pretty tired.", she replied.

Standing up, Spencer held out his hand and pulled her from the couch. "So, I'll show you the bedroom. I'll take the couch. You want me to grab you a glass of water?"

Annie looked at him with a bemused smile. "Couch? Come on Spence, you really think I'm gonna let you sleep on that thing? It's way too short for your long legs. And we already slept in my bed together. Besides, I told you I feel safer when you're with me."

Looking at her grinning face Spencer smiled. He was secretly happy about her insistence, he had loved the feeling of falling asleep with Annie in his arms. Showing Annie the way to the bedroom he excused himself to get changed.

Annie wasn't surprised to see even more bookshelves in Spencer's bedroom. The man obviously hadn't been lying when he said he read a lot. She couldn't resist the comfy-looking, dark wooden bed and quickly jumped in, snuggling under the covers. She couldn't help but notice how the sheets had Spencer's scent that she loved so much.

Walking back into his bedroom Spencer grinned. If someone had told him a week earlier he would have a beautiful, funny, smart and wonderful woman in his bed he wouldn't have believed it.

"Don't just stand there Spence! Get in here, it's cold!", Annie moaned, winking at him.

Laughing, he got under the covers and she instantly snuggled up to him again, his arm around her shoulder and her arm draped over his belly.

Turning his upper body, he turned off the lights. When he leaned back he suddenly felt Annie's lips on his. Stroking her hair, he parted his lips as he felt her tongue gently demanding entry. He felt his normally overactive brain shut down again as their kiss grew more passionate.

Breaking away from him, Annie smiled, both still catching their breath.

"Goodnight Spence.", she said, laying her head on his chest again.

"Goodnight Annie.", he replied. As he closed his eyes he thought back to what his mother had said. And now he finally understood...

* * *

**Another fluffy chapter, I know. I guess I was still in the mood for it after last night. :) Plus I really want to establish a good relationship here and don't rush things with the story.**

**Don't forget to review! :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hi everyone! First of all, I'm so touched to now have 101 followers! You are amazing!**

**Soo, good news, despite having a busy day at work today I couldn't resist to write another chapter since I felt inspired. :-) Hope you will all reward me with lots of awesome reviews! ;-)**

**Love you all!**

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 18**

Spencer was woken the next morning by the sound of music coming from the living room. Rubbing his eyes, he raised himself up and noticed that he was alone in his bed. Looking at the alarm clock he saw it was almost 9. Getting out of bed he put on his slippers and the robe his mother had given him for his last birthday. Stretching his arms he scuffled out of the room and stopped in his tracks at the sight in front of him, a huge smile forming on his face.

Across the room was Annie, still in her pajamas, bustling about in his tiny kitchenette. She had her back turned to him and was loudly - and clearly off-key - singing along to the tune blasting out of his radio. The smell of bacon filled the room as she stood in front of the stove, her hips swaying in rythm with the music. Approaching her, he raised his voice against the music: "Good morning."

Startled, she turned around, her eyes slightly widened. As she caught sight of him she grinned: "Good morning sunshine!" and dashed towards him, planting a kiss on his lips. "Sleep well?"

Spencer was amazed she wasn't in the least embarrassed at having been caught singing, most people he knew would be.

"What are you doing?" he asked as she quickly lowered the volume on the radio.

"What does it look like Spence? I'm making breakfast. Bacon and eggs, and some toast. Which was actually the only usable thing you had in your kitchen." she winked at him.

"Annie, where did you get the bacon and eggs?" he asked, already guessing the answer.

"I popped down to the shop. Thought I'd surprise you."

With his hands on her waist he slowly turned her to face him, his expression worried. "Annie, that's really sweet but you shouldn't have."

"Why not? My grandma always said "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day". And since you seem to live off, well toast, coffee and this half empty box of saltines I found in the cupboard, I thought I'd go shopping." she replied, still smiling.

He couldn't help but laugh. It was true, his kitchen wasn't especially well-equipped. He usually just ordered take-out. "As I said, that's really sweet Annie but I just don't feel comfortable at the thought of you wandering off alone."

He knew he was being ridiculous, the shop was right on the corner of his street. But he couldn't help it.

Voicing his thoughts, Annie laughed. "Don't be ridiculous Spence. It's early morning, nothing to be worried about. I've decided I can't let Marcus stop me living my life. That's exactly why I broke up with him in the first place." she said, that determined look she had yesterday back on her face.

Looking into her eyes, he replied: "I know. But I just can't stand the thought of something happening to you and me not being there to protect you."

"Spence, I really appreciate how worried you are and everything you've done. But as I said, I have to keep living my life. And you have a job to go to. Which reminds me, we should probably eat or you'll be late." she smiled, filling two plates and setting them down on the coffee table in front of the couch. "And I have a business to run. I just can't afford to let things slip now."

Spencer felt there was no use in arguing with her. Taking a forkful of scrambled eggs he tried to shake that nagging fear at the thought of Annie's ex and what he had done yesterday.

Pulling up in front of the cafe half an hour later he grabbed her hand. "Promise me to be careful Annie okay?"

She was touched by his concern. "I promise Spence. But hey, maybe Marcus has already given up. He hasn't sent any texts and didn't call. I know you see a lot of bad stuff at work but it doesn't always have to turn out that way." she smiled, trying to cheer him up and at the same time trying to reassure herself.

"Alright. But we're still going to have Garcia keep tracking his phone. He can't get away with trashing your apartment." Spencer replied. "And you call me if anything suspicious happens or if he contacts you, okay?"

"I will Spence. And now give me one of those amazing smiles of yours, I don't want to leave with the image of that frown on your face." she grinned.

Giving her a small smile he leaned in and cupped her cheek with his hand. Pressing his lips tightly against hers he felt a mix of emotions in him. Love, fear, passion... He didn't want to let go of her, didn't want them to be apart for even a couple of hours. Breaking away from their kiss, her lips a deep shade of red, Annie caught her breath.

"Wow Spence, that was some kiss. Can't wait to see more of that..." she chuckled. "Okay, I really gotta go now. And you're already late for work. See you tonight?"

"Yes, I'll pick you up at 6." he replied, still not feeling good about letting her go. Looking after her as she jumped out of the car and entered the cafe, he gave a deep sigh.

Rushing out of the elevator, Spencer headed straight for Penelope's office.

"Good morning my genius! How are you? And more important, how's Annie?" she greeted him.

"She was pretty shaken up yesterday but apparently she's decided she's not gonna let this affect her life. I'm worried she's taking it all to lightly and won't be careful enough." he replied.

"She's amazing, isn't she? But of course you already know that." she winked. "But you're still worried, right?"

"Of course I am Garcia," he called out. "She's the best thing that's ever happened to me and it's driving me crazy that there's someone out there who might hurt her. I can't loose her Garcia..." he trailed off.

"I know this is hard Reid, but we'll all do our best to find the guy. I've already done a full background check on Marcus. His full name is Marcus Walker, he's 29, born in D.C. He comes from a pretty good family but, and I know you're not gonna like this but I have to tell you, he's had some run-ins with the law when he was younger."

Spencer didn't like the sound of that at all. "What did he do?"

"Well, some minor offenses when he was in his teens. He was caught shoplifting twice and when he was 16 he got into a fight with another guy. And when he was 22 there was this other thing.." she hesitated.

"What other thing", he asked, his face in a frown.

"The charges had to be dropped because there wasn't enough evidence, but... a girl accused him of stalking and threatening her. She even told the police she caught him going through her stuff in her college dorm room but as I said, there wasn't enough evidence. The girl changed colleges and that was the end of it."

"Garcia, we need to find this guy. He apparently has a history of violent behaviour!"

"I know sweetie, but there's no sign of him. His phone is still switched off and there's nothing I can do."

Spencer felt frustration rise in him. This couldn't be happening. But Garcia was right, there was nothing they could do. Walking to his desk he sent a quick text to Annie asking her if she was alright and was relieved when he got an instant reply. Sitting down, he knew he somehow had to try and focus on work in the next few hours. At least Annie was at the cafe, her staff was there and plenty of customers. He didn't think Marcus would be the type to try anything with a lot of people around. Hearing footsteps approach him he looked up and saw Morgan.

"Hey kid, did you and Annie manage to relax a bit at JJ's yesterday?"

"Yeah, we did. Henry and her really hit it off." he smiled at the memory. "She's trying not to let this thing get her down. She even made us breakfast this morning."

"Wohoo kid, seems like you got yourself a dream girl there." Morgan chuckled.

"I know Derek, no need to tell me." Spencer replied with a confidence that surprised his colleague.

"I'm real happy for you Reid, you know that right? Now, did Garcia find anything on that guy?" Derek asked and Spencer began to tell him what Garcia had learned...

Drying her hands on a paper towel, Annie let out a deep breath. Lunch time was just over and she had spent the last 2 hours in the kitchen cooking. She had given Josh time off since he had already covered the morning shift. She was exhausted but she knew she had been right to keep her usual routine, it took her mind off things. She and Spence had been sending each other several texts in the last hours, and it wasn't just because he was worried about her. They couldn't seem to get enough of each other and had been sharing little tidbits of their day. She was really looking forward to him picking her up tonight. She knew things were moving really fast with them but she couldn't help it. They had a connection she had never felt with anyone before. As her phone buzzed again she smiled.

_Did you know that eventhough now considered to be an essential Italian fruit, the tomato, or __Solanum lycopersicum_ as the plant is called, actually originated in Mexico?

she read, laughing at his reply to her earlier message that she had managed to drop a large open can of tomatoes on the floor. Spencer had told her that most people hated him rambling on about random facts but she loved it.

Still smiling, she started typing: _No, I did not know that. But luckily I now have you to fill me in on all the things I don't know about. :-). Lunch hour is finally over! Time for a break. Wish you were here to share some pie with me. ;-)_

Putting her phone down on the counter, her eyes caught the large trash bag in the corner. She never liked having a mess in her kitchen so she quickly picked it up and opened the door to the back alley where the trash cans were located.

Thinking about what she and Spencer could do for dinner tonight she opened the lid and tossed in the bag when she suddenly heard steps behind her. Before she could turn around she felt someone grab her and a large hand covered her mouth as she felt heavy breathing on her ear.

"I told you I'd be back..."

* * *

**Don't complain, you should know by now how much I love cliffhangers! ;-) **

**Don't forget to review and tell me what you think! :D**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hi guys! Thanks for the great response! And wohoo, over 100 reviews! You are all so awesome and I'm so grateful to have such great readers!  
**

**Concerning the timeline: I know it might not always be accurate, I'm trying my best to keep the timeline in accordance with the show. But no one is perfect, and sometimes I might have to tweak a few things to make the story work. Hope you don't mind too much!  
**

**Also sorry I didn't update yesterday. After 2 weeks of _constant_ rain, the weather is finally nice again and so we went out to enjoy the sun yesterday and then a really warm night, we could even sit outside! I love the city in the summer! :D**

**So here's another chapter for you! Enjoy! **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 19**

"Hey Annie, there's a customer asking if you would mind making him a quick salad eventhough lunch our is over.", Miranda called out as she opened the kitchen door. Looking around Annie was nowhere to be seen. "Weird", she thought to herself. Then she saw the backdoor was slightly open and she quickly walked over and looked outside. But the alley was empty. Where could she have gone? It didn't seem like Annie to just wander off and leave her in charge of the cafe. Closing the door again she fumbled for her cellphone in her pocket and dialled...

"Garcia?", Penelope answered her phone 10 minutes later.

"Pen, Pen? Oh my god... Annie, she's gone Penelope!" she heard Sarah's voice on the other end.

Feeling her heart stop for a second, she replied. "Sarah? What, what do you mean she's gone."

"Her waitress just called me. She was in the kitchen and then she was just gone. The back door was open but no sign of Annie. Pen, what if Marcus has something to do with it?" Sarah screeched.

"Calm down Sarah, I'll get the team to meet you down at the cafe! I gotta go now, I'll call you back when they're on their way..." Garcia quickly answered, trying to remain calm herself.

Trying to wrap her head around what just happened she quickly rushed to the bullpen where she saw Reid and Morgan talking next to the coffee machine.

"Guys!" she called out, her voice shaking. After a little pause to brace herself she continued. "Sarah just called me. Reid..." she looked at him with a worried look, hating to have to break news like this to him. "It's Annie... she's missing..."

Spencer felt like someone had punched him in the guts. His blood ran cold as his brain tried to process the information.

"What? Garcia, what do you mean she's missing?" he stammered.

"Sarah called me. The waitress at Annie's cafe said Annie just vanished from the kitchen, the door to the back alley open. She... she thinks Marcus could have her. Reid, I'm so sorry..." Penelope splattered out, tears stinging in her eyes.

Spencer felt like his world collapsed right then and there. A thousand images and emotions ran through is mind. Stepping into the cafe that first time, looking into Annie's sparkling blue eyes. In her kitchen, the dim light putting a glow on her face as she leaned into him, her lips soft on his. The sight of her opening the door, in her black dress, giving him, and only him, that smile he could not get enough of. And just this morning, Annie dancing in his kitchen... And then the face of Marcus, the obsession in his eyes when he looked at Annie. And now he had her. For what? What would he do. He tried pushing the horrible images his mind created away...

"Reid? REID!" , Morgan yelled at him, snapping him out of his trance. "Kid, I know this is hard, but you need to focus! Annie needs that big brain of yours now! I'll get the team together, we need to act fast!"

Sitting in the car with Morgan and Prentiss a couple of minutes later, Spencer had managed to slightly recover from his initial shock. He couldn't loose Annie, not after just finding her. She had made him happier in one week that he had ever been. He knew it was silly but it felt like she completed him. She brought light into his life. And now... Scolding himself again, he knew he had to focus. Morgan was right, that's what Annie needed him to do right now...

"Reid, I'm calling Penelope to send over all info on Marcus, maybe we'll find a hint about where he has taken her. We know he hasn't been to his apartment since yesterday..." he heard Emily's voice. "Yeah, hi Garcia, you're on speaker. I need you to find out if Marcus has any other place he could go to. Childhood home, storage place, anything." she continued into the phone.

"Already typing away Em. I already located her phone, but it's at the cafe so I can't track her..." Penelope replied, frantically hitting the buttons on her keyboard. "Ok, his childhood home has been sold 10 years ago, currently occupied by a young couple. Other than that, I've got nothing. Nada. I'm sorry Em..."

"Alright, well keep digging Garcia, we're almost at the cafe. Talk to you later." Prentiss replied. Turning around, she asked: "Are you okay Reid?"

Ignoring her question, he replied. "We might get more info out of Sarah. She's Annie's best friend and she also knows Marcus quite well. Maybe there's some detail he shared with one of them that could prove valuable."

He knew his voice was still shaking, but he willed himself to remain calm and professional. "Maybe one of you should even do a cognitive interview with her..."

"Reid, we know this is hard for you." Morgan joined in. "But we're all here for you, and we'll do everything to catch this bastard and get Annie back to where she belongs..."

* * *

"_I told you I'd be back...  
_

As she heard Marcus' voice in her head, Annie's eyes snapped open. She felt her head spin as she tried to sit up. She tried to focus but her vision was blurred and she felt the sudden urge to throw up. She felt cold. "What had happened" she asked herself as she pulled herself up. Where was she? Looking around as her vision slowly cleared she felt her heart beat faster. This wasn't home, and it wasn't Spence's apartment either. And then suddenly it all came rushing back to her. Taking out the trash, feeling someone grab her, Marcus whispering in her ear and then...nothing, just blackness. But where was she now? The room was pretty dark, there was no lighting except for a bare lightbulb above her. She couldn't see any windows either so she didn't know if it was night or day.

Feeling panic overwhelm her, she jumped up but immediately fell back on the bed, her legs shaky and her head still dizzy. Trying to calm herself she took a couple of deep breaths. Marcus must have taken her here, whatever "here" was. Spencer had been right, she should have been more careful. Thinking of Spence, she felt tears sting in her eyes. Did he even know she was missing? She didn't know the time, was it already past 6 when he was supposed to pick her up?

Willing herself to clear her head she tried to asses the situation. Besides the bed she was sitting on the room was empty. The floor was wooden and the brick walls looked pretty old. The room looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a long time. There was a single door directly opposite where she was sitting.

Shivering, she wrapped the thin blanket on the bed around her shoulders as she suddenly heard footsteps behind the door. She intuitively moved backwards, pressing herself against the cold brick wall when the door was opened and before her was Marcus.

"Good morning baby! Did you sleep well?" he said, a wicked smile on his lips.

Feeling a sudden anger rise up in her she almost shouted. "Good morning? Good morning? Marcus, what the hell is this supposed to be? Where are we? I want to leave, right now!"

His smile fading from his lips he glared at her. As he took a step forward she could see the madness in his eyes and shrinked back when he shouted at her.

"What this is? What do you think it is? Is this how you thank me for taking you away to be with me? I told you baby, we belong together. You know I love you and I won't live without you."

Coming closer he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her towards him. Pressing her tightly against him he started stroking her hair while he whispered. "And now we'll be together forever baby, isn't that what we always wanted?"

Trying to push Marcus away from her, she started screaming. "Stop it Marcus! I told you it's over! I. don't. love. you!"

She started trembling when Marcus grabbed her arms hard. "You're hurting me, please, stop it!"

Looking into her eyes he growled. "I'm gonna hurt you even more if you don't stop lying and admit that we belong together." he spit out, violently pushing her on the bed.

Walking to the door he took one last look at her and laughed. "And don't even bother screaming, no one will hear you." And with that, he left, locking the door behind him.

Her heart beating fast, her whole body trembling, Annie felt the tears streaming down her face. Burying her head in the pillow, she started sobbing uncontrollably.

"Spence, where are you... Please, please, get me out of here..."

* * *

**Ahh, don't hate me for another cliffhanger! And don't forget to review, it might motivate to update sooner! ;-)**

** Have a great Saturday! Love you all! :-)**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hi everyone! Thank you all sooo much for the great reviews! Some of the comments make it hard for me not to reply and give away any spoilers haha. **

**Here's another chapter for you all! **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 20**

Running his fingers through his hair Spencer gave a heavy sigh. It was now the next Morning, Friday, and Annie had been missing for 19 hours... When they had reached Annie's apartment, they had found a distraught Sarah in front of the building. Using Sara's key to get in, Emily and JJ had attempted a cognitive interview with her, but she was so in tears, it had been no use. Morgan and Rossi had looked through all of Annie's things in the hope of finding a clue to where Marcus could have taken her. At first he had refused to help. It was something he had done a hundred times but with Annie it felt wrong.

He didn't want to invade her privacy, this was not how people in love get to know each other. "In love". Yes, he was love. He had never been before but he knew what he had with Annie was special. And now Marcus had her...

"Damn it." he yelled, slamming his fist on the table.

"Hey hey, easy there Reid.", Morgan looked over from his desk.

"Don't you tell me to take it easy! It's been 19 hours Morgan. How is it possible we don't have anything yet?" Spencer yelled. He knew it was irrational to scream at his friend, but the thoughts of what Marcus might do to Annie drove him crazy.

Walking over to him, Derek put a hand on his shoulder. "Kid, I know this is hell for you. And if it helps you to yell at me, go ahead. But I promise you, we will find her!"

"I know Morgan, but this is killing me. I just met her Morgan... what if he takes her away from me forever? What if she's already dead..." Spencer whispered, his voice shaking.

Grabbing his shoulders, Derek turned Spencer to face him. "Don't you ever say that kid! And don't you even think it. We profiled that Marcus, in his mind, loves Annie and will only get violent if rejected. Now, Annie is a smart girl and she will have figured that out by now. She's alive Reid, and we will do our damn best to get her out of there!"

Spencer looked at his friend. He knew Morgan was right. Sarah had told them how Marcus always wanted to spend time alone with Annie. He always preferred staying home with Annie cooking for him and playing housewife. He hated it when she went out with her friends or met new people. That's why she eventually broke up with him. Annie was such an outgoing person and she had been sick of Marcus telling her what to do.

So if Marcus was indeed trying to "play house" with Annie now, and she tried to play along there was a good chance he might not hurt her. His only worry was what - in Marcus' mind - "playing house" included...

* * *

Willing herself to stay strong, Annie had managed to stop crying and think about what she needed to do. So far, Marcus had only turned violent when she had rejected him. In her apartment, when she told him it was over he had started trashing it. And just now when she told him she didn't love him he had grabbed her. Maybe she should try and play nice with him to avoid another sudden outburst. She hoped Spencer and his team were already out there looking for her and she needed to hang on until they found her...

Still deep in thought, she almost didn't hear the steps approaching the door again. When he entered the room she shrank back for a moment when she saw him carrying a gun in his right hand...

"I'm back baby, and I'm going to tell you one more time that we belong together!" he growled at her.

Trying to hide the tremble in her voice and attempting a smile, Annie forced herself to say the words. "Honey, I'm... I'm so sorry for what I just said. I was just... confused... because I woke up here. Of course I... I know you're right..."

Marcus frown turned into a sudden smile. "I knew you'd get it baby."

As he walked up to her Annie tried not to back away. When she felt her arms envelope her in a hug she tried not to tremble. She needed to get out of here. Gathering all the courage she had she tried to hide the disgust in her voice and quietly said. "How about I make you something to eat honey? You must be hungry."

As he pulled away from her she saw his face light up in a crazy grin. "You're right babe, I am hungry, wouldn't mind if you made me some breakfast. Seems like you still know what your man needs. Okay, I'll take you upstairs to the kitchen, but I'm telling you, don't try anything or you'll regret it." he said, waving the gun in front of her face.

Swallowing hard, Annie forced herself to smile as Marcus gestured her to walk up the stairs behind the door. As he followed her she could sense the gun he was pointing at her back. As they reached the upper floor she gasped in surprise as she took in her surroundings. Walking into the large country-style kitchen she knew exactly where she was...

* * *

Penelope Garcia was getting frustrated. She had spent all night in her bat cave, refusing take a break. How could she when Annie was with that maniac? She had spent most of the night going through all the information she had found on Marcus again. Seeing the look on Reid's face almost broke her heart. It was times like these that gave her a hard time believing in the goodness of the world. Despite what she saw in her job, she always tried to stay positive. But this was just unfair. If anyone deserved to find love it was Reid. He had grown up since she first met him. He was now far more confident than the 23 year old boy back then. But she had always known that he missed having someone special in his life. And she had known how right she had been all along when she saw him and Annie together. And now that bastard Marcus had her!

Letting out a sigh she jumped when the phone started ringing. "Garcia here" she answered, not in the mood for her usual bubbly greetings.

"Pen? It's Sarah..."

"Hi sweetie, what's up? How are you?" Garcia asked, the concern for Annie's best friend briefly pushing her own feelings away.

"Listen Pen, I've been racking my brain all night. And I remembered something. Marcus once told us about his uncle and aunt. Apparently he used to spend a lot of time with them when he was a kid. He also told us how amazing he thought they were because they'd been married for 40 years. I don't remember where exactly but he said they had a farm outside the city... I don't know if they still live there but maybe it's something?"

Immediately snapping into action, Garcia quickly replied. "You might be onto something there. I'll check it out, I'll call you back later. Over and out."

Rushing out to the bullpen she saw Reid and Morgan at their desks. "Guys, I might have something, get in here!"

Running into Penelope's office Spencer felt his head spin. Did they really have a lead? His heart was beating fast as he entered the room. "Garcia, what is it?" he almost yelled.

Quickly typing away on her computer, Garcia started to explain. "Sarah called. She said Marcus uncle and aunt used to have a farm outside the city. He talked about them being the ideal couple or something."

"So he has idealized them as the image of a perfect relationship since his childhood..." Morgan explained. "Do they still live there?"

"Just a second. Sarah couldn't remember their names but... there it is. Robert and Barbara Walker... No, they don't. Robert died two years ago from a heart attack. And... Barbara lives in a board and care home in the city now."

Finally finding his speech again, Spencer quickly asked. "What about the farm? Was it sold?"

With a quick few hits on her keyboard, Garcia pulled up the information. "No, it's still under Barbara's name but has been unoccupied since last year!"

Spencer looked at them both, his eyes wide. "He must have taken her there."

"Ok, I'll get the team, let's go. Garcia, send the address of the farm to our phones" Morgan said quickly, already running out of Garcia's office.

Just 5 minutes later the team was racing their SUV's to the location Garcia had given them. Sitting next to JJ in the car, Spencer couldn't stop fidgeting with his hands.

Seeing it, JJ grabbed his hand. "Look at me Spence. We'll find her, I'm sure she's there."

Looking up, Spencer couldn't hide the quiver in his voice. "I know JJ. I just hope we're not too late..."

* * *

**As always, don't forget to review! Can't wait to hear what you think about it! :D**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hi! Since it's Sunday and I was feeling so inspired, here's another chapter! **

**Thanks for all the great reviews! Enjoy! **

**xoxo **

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 21**

Walking into the kitchen, Annie remembered. This was uncle Robert's house. Marcus had taken her here once to visit him and aunt Barbara. But where were they? The house looked dusty, as if no one had been here in quite some time.

"So, baby, what are you gonna make me for breakfast? I knew you wouldn't be able to resist to take care of your man, so I brought some groceries." Marcus said, opening the fridge.

Annie was still trying to control her trembling body. Marcus still had his gun pointed at her, not letting her out of sight. Stepping up to the kitchen counter, she tried hide the fear in her voice.

"How about an omelet? You always liked them with corn and Bacon, didn't you?" she said, remembering the time when they were still a couple. She was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that she had been kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend.

"Yeah, I'm glad you remember baby." he smiled, that manic stare back in his eyes.

He slowly started to get the items out of the fridge, laying them on the counter. Getting a bowl out of the cupboard, he stroked Annie's back, sending a cold shiver down her spine. "Get going babe, your man is hungry."

With shaking hands, she grabbed the carton of eggs. As she started cracking the eggs open Marcus started talking again.

"You'll see babe. We'll be so happy here. This is a good place. Uncle Rob and auntie Barb lived here for 30 years. And they were so happy. Being together was all they needed. I want us to be like that baby. No one will disturb us here. It's just you and me."

Hearing his words, Annie had to stop herself from spitting out that they wouldn't be happy here. And that in fact, he had never made her happy. She only knew that now she had met Spence... She knew now that not all guys were like Marcus. Possessive, jealous, controlling... Thinking of Spencer she felt tears sting in her eyes. Did the team even know about the farm? Probably not or they would already be here.

Trying to focus on playing her role as the loving girlfriend she proceeded to prepare breakfast, feeling Marcus eyes on her.

"You look pretty messed up baby, I think you should take a shower when we're done eating. And then we could take a little nap, if you know what I mean." he winked at her.

Feeling the hairs on her neck stand up she started trembling again. She knew exactly what she meant and her heart started beating fast at the fear of what he had planned. She couldn't let him do that to her, she needed to get out of here. Trying to hold back the tears she thought of Spencer again and sent a silent prayer. "Where are you..."

* * *

Spencer looked out of the window. They were now in a remote area, most of the houses didn't have any neighbours. The ideal place to take someone without anyone knowing...Lost in his thoughts he was interrupted by Hotch, who was driving the car.

"We should be there in about 5 minutes. Now Reid, I want you to listen to me. This is not a regular case. Most of the team is emotionally involved. But you especially. I know you don't want to hear this but I think you should let the rest of the team go in there first. Marcus is obsessed with the idea of the perfect relationship. Seeing you might shatter his fantasy, especially if Annie's reaction to you shows him how she feels about you..."

"Hotch, how can he not go in there?" JJ interrupted, her voice rising. She realized their unit chief was probably right. But another part of her knew that it wouldn't be easy to keep their friend out of this. If she was in his position, and it would be Will, nothing could stop her from going in there...

"JJ, believe me, I, of all people, know how hard this is for Reid.", Hotch replied, his voice trailing off at the thought of Haley... "But what's most important is to get Annie out of there safe."

Swallowing hard, Spencer tried to understand his boss' reasoning. His brain told him that he was right. Seeing him might send Marcus over the edge as he was a threat to the perfect world with Annie he had created in his mind. But Spencer's heart was fighting his brain. How could he not go in there and save her?

"Hotch, I'll let you go in first, but I can't guarantee I'll completely stay out of this. I don't care if I have to disobey your orders, I don't care if this costs me my job. All I care about is getting Annie out of that bastard's hands..." he told his unit chief as they were taking a turn up a small road. It lead to a farmhouse, surrounded by trees.

Jumping out of their cars as soon as they stopped, Aaron gathered them around him.

"Rossi, Emily, I want you to cover the back. Morgan, you're with me. We'll try to get in through the front door. JJ, you stay with Reid." he instructed.

Reid fought the urge to follow his team members. He felt JJ's hand on his shoulder, pulling him back. "Spence... you heard what Hotch said. She's gonna be alright, they'll get her out of there..."

* * *

Watching Marcus take his last forkful, Annie felt her stomach tighten again. She hadn't been able to eat anything and had just moved her food around on the plate. When Marcus looked up at her, his glare made the hairs on her neck stand up.

"That was really good babe. But I really think you need to take a shower now. I want you to look pretty for me."

Standing up, he walked around the kitchen counter, the gun still in his hands. Putting his arms around her waist he pressed himself against her. Annie was trying hard not to show him how scared she was as he pressed his mouth against her neck.

"Maybe I should even join you in the shower." he growled into her hear, his hands sliding under her dress.

The touch of his hands were like burns on her skin and she couldn't stop her body from tensing up.

Noticing it, Marcus grabbed her arm hard. "Why so tense babe, you don't like that?", he asked, pressing his mouth against hers.

Feeling Marcus' lips on hers Annie couldn't hide her disgust any longer. Pressing her lips together she tried to push him away.

She didn't expect the blow that followed as he raised his arm and punched the side of her face, sending her flying against the fridge. "You stupid bitch! What is this? I should have known you were lying!" he yelled as he took two steps towards her. "You think you can fool me? I'll show you what I'll do to lying bitches like you!"

Her head spinning from the impact, Annie felt the whole left side of her face throb in pain. Touching her cheek she felt moisture and when she looked at her hand she saw blood. She tried to lift herself up but Marcus was already above her, pushing her back down on the floor. She felt like she couldn't breath, but with her last strength she let out a scream, hoping someone would hear her...

* * *

Standing next to JJ Spencer watched Hotch and Morgan slowly enter the house through the front door when he suddenly heard a piercing scream from inside the house. Ignoring everything his boss had told him he bolted forward, shaking off JJ who was trying to hold him back.

Drawing his gun he raced up the stairs onto the porch. As he entered the room he heard Morgan yell. "Marcus Walker. FBI. Withdraw your weapon!"

For a second, Spencer had trouble understanding that what he saw was reality and not some bad dream. In front of them, in the middle of the large kitchen was Marcus, holding Annie in a firm grasp around her upper body. He had a gun and it pressed against Annie's cheek. Looking into her eyes all he saw was fear. She was bleeding from her temple and the left side of her face was swollen. Catching sight of him she whimpered: "Spence..." and he thought he felt his heart break right then and there.

"Ah, who do we have here?" Marcus laughed. "Came to save her, didn't you? You really think you can take her from me?"

Feeling a kind of anger he had never felt before rise up in him Spencer opened his mouth. Before he could speak, Hotch shot him a look and stepped forward, his gun pointed at Marcus.

"Marcus, this is over. Step away from her and drop your weapon." Aaron called out as he saw Dave and Emily appear from the back of the house.

Seeing the agents approach them, Annie felt Marcus take a step bag, dragging her with him. By now tears were streaming down her face and she let out a few sobs. She had never been this afraid in her life. She could feel the cold metal of the gun on her cheek. She tried to focus on Spencer. All this didn't seem real... Spencer was wearing a bullet proof vest and, like the other agents, had his gun pointed at Marcus.

"This is not over!" she heard Marcus scream next to her ear. "We belong together, don't you see that."

She could feel him shaking nervously and she prayed his finger wouldn't trigger the gun.

"Do you really think that Marcus?" Morgan asked calmly. "Look at Annie, you are scaring her. Is this what you do to the people you love?"

As Marcus slowly lifted the gun from Annie's cheek he raised his arm, he shouted. "Shut up, shut up! You don't know anything about us", pointing the gun at Morgan.

Seeing Marcus move the gun away from Annie Spencer looked into Annie's eyes for a second. As she pushed herself away from her captor he knew he had this one chance.

Time seemed to stand still and the room was silent except for the sound of the gunshot as he pulled the trigger...

* * *

**Ahhh another cliffhanger! Don't hate me! Next chapter will be up tomorrow! **

**Don't forget to review!**!


	22. Chapter 22

**Hi everyone! Thanks for all the great reviews! It was crazy busy at work today and I'm going to the movies soon, but I still couldn't leave you hanging. So here's another chapter for you! I've worked really hard on this one so I hope you like it! Can't wait to hear what you think! **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 22**

Feeling Marcus lift the gun from her cheek, Annie's instincts took over as she tried to push herself away from him. It seemed to her like everything happened in slow motion. For that second when she looked into Spencer's eyes she was surprised to see love and hate in them at the same time. She could see the hate directed at Marcus, a determination she had never seen before in anyone. But with that one glance, she also felt his love, shooting through every cell of her body. And then she heard the gunshot...

And everything went black...

* * *

His jaw still clenched in tension, it seemed to Spencer that time stood still for a moment when he saw Marcus fall backwards as the bullet entered his skull. Out of the corner of her eye he could see Annie, dropping to the floor. Snapping out of his trance, his feet seemed to have a life of their own as they carried him to her side. He could hear the voices of his team members as if they were far away, dropping to his knees, his eyes fixed on Annie's face. Her eyes were closed and she was still bleeding from the wound on her temple.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Emily next to him, yelling: "We need a medic in here".

As his hand shot forward, he felt his heart stop as his fingers touched her neck. He hadn't realized he had been holding his breath until he let it out when he felt the fast but steady beat of her pulse under his fingers. Suddenly, he felt Emily's hand on his shoulder.

"She's gonna be okay Reid..."

Not bothering to answer he took Annie's hand, stroking it as he cupped her face in his other hand. He could feel her breath on his cheek as he leaned in, relief flooding through him as the realization that she was alive set in. Only now he felt that his cheeks were wet from the silent tears that had been streaming down his face.

Gently sweeping a strand of hair from her forehead, he whispered in her ear. "I'm here Annie, I'm here..."

Before he knew it there were two medics next to her, lifting her up on a stretcher. He was still holding Annie's hand, he couldn't, didn't want to let go. Walking out of the room next to the stretcher, he could see Hotch and Morgan standing over Marcus' dead body.

Getting into the ambulance next to Annie he saw JJ standing outside, giving him a small smile. "Meet you at the hospital!" was the last thing he heard before the medic shut the door and they drove off.

"Is she gonna be ok?" he asked the medic, who was starting to tend to Annie's injury.

"I can't say anything definite right now but I think apart from a few bruises and the headwound she might have a concussion. But I think she'll be alright. The concussion could be the reason for her being unconscious but it might also be due to shock."

Looking at Annie, Spencer felt his heart tighten at the sight of her bruised face and body. He knew Marcus was dead but anger still flared inside of him at the thought of him hitting Annie, grabbing her, putting a gun to her face. Squeezing her hand he took a deep breath, vowing to himself to never let her get hurt again...

* * *

Sitting next to the hospital bed, Spencer still held her hand in his. They had managed to stop the bleeding and a few stitches had been necessary. The doctor had assured him the scar on her temple wouldn't be too visible. Not that he cared about that. The only thing that mattered was that she was alive. The doc had also told him it might take a while for her to wake up, her brain had simply shut down due to the shock.

Still lost in his thoughts, he heard the door open behind him. When he turned around he could see JJ peeking in, the other team members behind her.

"Spence? Is she alright?"

"Yeah, she's going to be", he replied, slowly standing up. Knowing too many people in the room would only disturb Annie he quickly slipped outside and found himself embraced in a bear hug by JJ, Emily and Garcia.

Pulling away from them, he continued. "She probably has a minor concussion, they'll know for sure once she wakes up. There's some heavy bruising on the left side of her face and some on her arms and back. They've stitched the wound, so yeah, she'll be alright."

Voicing the thoughts of the other team members, Emily tentatively asked: "Was she... has he...?"

Immediately understanding what she meant, Spencer shook his head. "No, no, thank god no. There were no signs of rape. Seems like we got there before he could..." Just thinking about what could have happened if they hadn't gotten there in time made him sick to his stomach.

Taking a deep breath he looked at Hotch.

"Hotch, I know you told me not to..." he started but was quickly interrupted by his unit chief.

"This is not the time Reid. We'll talk about it tomorrow." Aaron replied, the soft look in his eyes betraying his stern voice.

Nodding his head, Spencer turned to face the others. "Listen guys, I need to get back in there. I don't want her to be alone when she wakes up. I'll let you know when there's news." he said, already opening the door again as his team members all waved to him.

Walking back into the room he sat back down next to Annie, stroking her hand. He felt exhaustion wash over him as he gently laid his head next to her body...

* * *

As her eyelids started fluttering, Annie could feel her head throb in pain. Trying to open her eyes, she felt a sharp pain in her left eyelid. Where was she? What had happened? As the images came flooding back to her she felt her body start to tremble. Marcus... the gun... As her mouth opened she let out a quiet sob, her heart beating fast.

Spencer jolted awake when he heard Annie's sob. Jumping up he leaned over her.

"Annie, it's me, Spence. It's alright, you're safe." he tried to calm her down.

Seeing Spencer's face above her she instantly relaxed. "Spencer? What happened...? Marcus...?"

"He's gone Annie, don't worry about him. He can't hurt you anymore. It's over." he told her calmly.

Annie slowly felt the memory coming back. The team had been there. Spencer pointing the gun at Marcus...

"You... you saved me." she whispered, her voice shaking and little tears streaming down her face. "I knew you'd save me..."

Seeing her tears, Spencer's chest tightened again. "I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner, I should have..." he started, his face guilt-ridden.

"Shh, Spence..." she interrupted him, looking deep into his eyes. "You got there.. that's all that matters.I knew you'd come Spence..." she whispered.

He knew it was probably too soon and he would never have thought to ever feel this way. But after almost losing her, after almost losing the best thing that had ever happened to him, he knew he had to tell her.

"Annie, I... I thought I'd lost you. It drove me crazy.." he began, his voice still shaking.

"I..., I love you..."

* * *

**Awwww, she's alright guys! I know on first glance that last part might seem a bit OOC for Spence, but I honestly can see him doing this after what happened.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter but I can tell you, there's more to come! Don't forget to review!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hi everyone! As I promised, here's another chapter!**

**Thank you all soooo much for your kind reviews, they make up for the two nasty guest reviews I got... It's so laughable that at first I didn't even want to mention it but I just had to because it made me appreciate all you wonderful people out there even more!**

**I decided not to approve them, not because I can't take criticism but because I don't see the point of letting myself and my story be insulted in the most immature way. I appreciate constructive reviews, either positive or negative but I don't need anyone calling me names and making ridiculous threats... I think you've all seen this guest reviewer on various Reid/OC stories on here... **

**I know my story is fluffy and sweet (with a bit of drama) but it's my story. If you don't like it either tell me in a civilized way or don't read it, simple as that. :-) **

**So back on topic: I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

**I love you all! **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 23**

_"I love you..._

Hearing those words from him Annie felt her heart beat faster. Looking into the eyes of the man who had stirred feelings in her she never thought she'd have, the man who had just saved her life, she knew she felt the same way.

Lifting up her hand to his cheek she opened her mouth to speak...

"Ah, I see our patient finally woke up", a voice interrupted her. "Hi sweetie, I'm nurse Megan. How are you feeling?" the plump woman asked with a warm smile as she approached the bed.

Spencer felt a rush of disappointment in him at the disruption. He was immediately starting to doubt himself. He knew he loved Annie but the nurse entering the room had stopped Annie from answering him. Had he said those words too soon? His thoughts were interrupted by Annie answering.

"I'm okay I guess," she said in a low voice. "My face hurts."

"I bet it does sweetie. The swelling should go down in a couple of days, but the bruises will take a bit longer to heal. We'll have to keep you for another night or two but I see you got someone to keep you company", Megan replied with a smile at Spencer. "Let me just check that bandage on your head. The doctor should be here soon to perform some tests to examine your concussion."

As Annie winced in pain when the nurse examined her head wound, Spencer could almost feel the pain himself. Holding her hand he gave her an encouraging smile.

He looked up when another person entered the room, this time the doctor he had spoken to earlier.

"Hello Ms. Barker, my name is Dr. Lowell and I was treating you earlier. Now, as I already told Dr. Reid here, you have some heavy bruising on the left side of your face, on your arms and on your back. We managed to stop the bleeding and had to put in a few stitches. I now need to perform a couple of memory tests to make sure there hasn't been any brain damage."

Annie's lip started to quiver. This was all too much for her. She still couldn't get the feeling of Marcus pressing the gun to her face out of her mind. She still felt so afraid, and being in this hospital room didn't help. As a silent tear rolled down her cheek she let out a small sob and looked up at Spencer. He was the one person that gave her some sense of security.

Spencer felt his heart break all over again. This was just not fair... He wished he could make her pain go away but he knew that this wasn't over yet. He would have to help Annie deal with this. He couldn't let her break apart...

Gently stroking her hand he whispered: "It's gonna be ok, I'm right here."

Looking into Spencer's eyes, Annie felt herself relax. She was still amazed at how quickly he had become such an important part of her life...

* * *

An hour later, the doctor had finished his exam and diagnosed Annie with a mild concussion. She would need to rest for 2 weeks and not perform any manual labor. When the doctor and nurse left the room Spencer was relieved and nervous at the same time. What would Annie say in response to his earlier words?

Sitting down next to her, he took a deep breath.

"Annie, listen you don't have to..." he started.

"Shh Spencer.." she replied. "I'm not saying this because you said it, not because I have to."

Taking a deep breath, she went on. "I've only met you last week and most people would say this was crazy. But I've just experienced one of the worst things that ever happened to me, that could ever happen to anyone. And it made me realize two things. One, you should never leave anything unsaid if you feel it in your heart."

Giving him a small smile she continued. "And two... Spencer... I love you."

Spencer thought his heart would burst out of his chest. He couldn't help the huge grin that was slowly creeping up on his face. Yes, they had fallen in love, been through hell and back within a week. But he knew things were going to be alright. Before meeting Annie he never believed there was someone out there for him, someone who would say those words to him. As he gently kissed her, he felt her smile against his mouth.

"What?" he asked as he pulled away.

"I just realized what I just said rhymes," she giggled, wincing in pain at the movement.

"At least it made you give me one of those amazing laughs of yours." he smiled as he stroked her right cheek.

"Spence?" she whispered.

"Yes?"

"I know this is probably against hospital policy... but will you get in here and cuddle with me?" she asked, patting her hand on the mattress.

"Annie, you have bruises everywhere and... I don't want to hurt you." he hesitated.

"I don't care Spence. I just want you next to me."

As Spencer climbed onto the bed next to her, he gently put his arm around her. When she laid her head down on his chest, Annie could feel her sore muscles ache. But she didn't care, she just wanted to feel the safety of his arms around her...

* * *

Walking into the hospital next to Sarah, Garcia braced herself for the sight awaiting her in the hospital room. The team had told her that Annie looked pretty beaten up but would be ok. She hadn't initially planned on visiting her today, but then Sarah had called her and asked her if she wanted to join her and she hadn't been able to resist. And she also had a message for Annie...

Each with a huge bouquet of flowers in their hands and trailing a dozen "Get well soon" balloons they hurried down the corridor. Reaching Annie's room, Penelope carefully opened the door.

"Aw, look at those two lovebirds" she whispered at Sarah who was peeking in behind her.

Spencer and Annie were lying on the bed, his arms wrapped protectively around his girlfriend. Both had their eyes closed. Her chest tightened at the look of Annie's bruised face but she couldn't help but smile at seeing Reid with a girl in his arms.

"Garcia, I think we should leave.. they're sleeping." Sarah whispered back.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I don't want to wake them. Should we just leave the stuff here or..."

"If you don't want to wake us you probably shouldn't be talking in here."

Both girls were startled at the sound of Spencer's voice as he carefully got off the bed.

"Of course you're right my genius." Garcia chattered on, seeing that Annie had also opened her eyes.

Sarah was already at Annie's side, grabbing her hand. "Annie... how are you?" she asked, swallowing hard.

"Fine I guess, considering the circumstances..." Annie replied, touched by the concern in her best friend's voice.

"Well, you look awful by the way.", Sarah replied, forcing herself to grin. She knew the last thing Annie needed right now was a crying best friend dragging her down.

"Sarah!" Spencer exclaimed, shocked by her boldness.

"It's fine Spence." Annie gave a small laugh. "That's my Sarah and I wouldn't want her any other way."

"Ok guys, we know it's already late and you, sweetie need your rest" Garcia interrupted. "But I just wanted to tell you, ever since, you know... you went missing we tried reaching your parents, but we didn't get them at their cell phone and we also couldn't reach your brother so..."

"Yeah I know, my parents said they'll be at their cabin in the mountains all week, the reception there is really bad. And my brother is in Europe right now..." Annie interrupted her.

Garcia smiled. "Yes, I know that by now. We managed to reach your mom and dad tonight and they should arrive here tomorrow." And with a look at Spencer, she added.

"Since you guys are doing almost everything at warp speed, I think it's about time for Reid to meet the parents, don't you think?"

* * *

**So much fluff again! :D But I was just in the mood. ;-) Don't forget to review!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hi everyone! I'm back with a new chapter! Thanks for all the reviews! I want to take this opportunity and reply to some of you:**

**PerfectCell: Thanks for your input on my story! THAT'S what I call constructive criticism! I have thought a lot about your words and will keep them in mind! This is my first fanfic in years and I know there's always room for improvement! Glad you're gonna stick around. ;-)**

**Criminal-Minds-superfan: Thanks for the support in your last review**! **I'm so touched! **

**Sue1313, gabbyreid, deathly hallow girls, sunset's last lullaby, maddielala56 and everyone I might have forgotten (Sorry if I did!): Thank you soooo much for all your great reviews and continued support! I love that you love my story and hope you'll enjoy all future chapters!**

**So back to business, here's the new chapter!**

**xoxo**  
**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 24**

After dropping Sarah off at her apartment building, Garcia was just about to drive home when her phone started ringing. Seeing the caller ID she smiled.

"Hey hot stuff, what's up?" she answered.

"Hi baby girl. I just wanted to ask how Annie is?" Morgan replied.

"I think part of her is still in shock, I'm not sure she has processed this whole thing yet. She's trying to be strong I guess but you know I have a sixth sense when it comes to feelings and I don't think this is over yet..." Penelope said.

"You could be right Pen, there are few people in the world who could go through what happened to her and come out of it unscarred." Derek mused. Even though it had all ended well and Annie's injuries would be healed in a couple of weeks he knew from experience that the psychological damage would take a lot longer to heal.

"I know, I wish I could do something... " Garcia sighed. "Hot stuff? Would you mind if I came over? I'll bring Pizza! I just can't go home right now after everything that happened today."

Morgan smiled. As much as Garcia loved her job, when a case became personal she always had a hard time dealing with it. "Sure baby girl, I'll even watch one of your chick flicks if it cheers you up."

"Aww, you know what a girl needs Derek. See you in 20." she replied with a grin before hanging up.

* * *

Ringing Morgan's doorbell, Penelope already felt better. A movie night with her angel fish was what she needed after a a day like today. As the door opened she looked up at her best friend.

"Hi gorgeous!" she smiled and held out the family-sized pizza box she had picked up on the way.

"Hi my sweetness, smells delicious, just like you." he replied with a wink, enveloping her in a bear hug.

Following him into the living room she flopped herself on his black leather couch with a heavy sigh as Derek quickly poured her a glass of white wine. Grabbing a beer for himself he joined her.

"You look tired baby doll." he looked at her, a frown on his face.

"I am Derek. The past 30 hours have just been so awful. I still can't believe all of this happened..." she replied, taking a slice of pizza.

"I know, but the important part is that we got there in time. And we'll all be there for Annie and Reid to help them get through this? How is our little genius holding up?" he asked.

Remembering the sight that had awaited them in the hospital Garcia's smile returned. "Ohhh, you should have been there hot stuff. It was the cutest thing! Spencer was lying next to Annie on the bed, both of them sleeping."

Morgan couldn't hold back a laugh. "Reid? In bed with a girl? Hard to imagine, even if it's just an innocent nap in a hospital bed."

"I know! That's what I thought. But I'm really, really happy for him. He deserves this. Ohh, and you know what? Annie's parents are flying in tomorrow. I guess it's inevitable that he's gonna meet them." Garcia smiled.

"Yeah, you're right. Seems like Reid is catching up on everything relationship-wise he missed in the last 10 years." Derek chuckled. "But I guess before that he'll have to face Hotch. I talked to him Garcia, and while he can relate to Reid's actions today, he has to defend them in front of Strauss..."

* * *

After Sarah and Garcia left, Spencer sat back down on his chair next to Annie's bed. She looked tired and her eyelids kept dropping, but she refused to go back to sleep.

"Annie, you're tired, you should really get some rest. You know, wound healing is affected by sleep. A study conducted in 2004 has shown that sleep deprivation hindered wound healing in rats."

Giving him a weird look she replied. "Are you comparing me to a rat?"

Blushing, he stammered. "No, it's... it's just, I want you to get better..."

Giving him a smile she chuckled. "I'm messing with you Spence. This is my "I'm messing with you" face" she explained.

It was situations like this that she realized, despite their feelings, they still had to get to know each other.

"But you're right, I should really get some rest. It's gonna be an eventful day tomorrow with my parents coming down here."

Spencer couldn't help feeling nervous about that. He had never been in a situation like this, meeting the parents of a girlfriend. He was still getting used to the fact that he _had_ a girlfriend. Annie was an exception, he normally wasn't comfortable with meeting new people outside of his job. Did they even know about him? What would they think of him? Their daughter had just been kidnapped, how would they react to her dating an FBI agent who encountered dangerous situations on a weekly basis? He couldn't stop his overactive brain from asking these questions.

"What's wrong Spence?" Annie asked, and he noticed he hadn't said anything in a couple of minutes, lost in his thoughts.

Looking up, he hesitated. "I've just been thinking, um, are you sure it's a good idea for me to meet them? I mean, they have no idea I even exist and after everything that's happened..."

Grabbing his hand, Annie gave him a smile. "I'm sure they'll love you Spence. You saved my life, how could they not?"

Spencer still had his doubts but decided not to burden Annie with them. "If you say so... but, I'm still kind of nervous. I've... I've never done this before."

"Done what?"

"Meet a girls parents... I've... I've only..." he stuttered. He knew he had to tell her sooner or later how inexperienced he really was when it came to relationships. "I've only had one girlfriend, and that was when I was 18 and it was never really serious. So..."

Annie gave him a surprised look. She knew Spencer was shy but he was definitely attractive in his own quirky, slightly awkward way. She had a hard time believing what he told her, with any other men she wouldn't. But she felt that he was telling the truth.

Giving him an encouraging smile she replied. "Spence, I don't care how many girlfriends you had. Well, I would if the number was in the double digits." she laughed. "And stop worrying about my parents, they'll like you, I know it."

Squeezing her hand, he could feel himself relax when his phone suddenly started ringing. "I'm sorry, I have to take this, it's Hotch... I'll be right back" he said, excusing himself from the room.

When the door closed behind him, Annie felt her chest tighten. She knew it was silly, Spencer was right outside and the corridor was probably full of nurses and doctors bustling around. But she suddenly felt so alone. She felt tears sting in her eyes as the memories she had tried to push away in the last hours kept coming back to her. She didn't want to cry, she couldn't let herself cry. She had come out of this alright. Yeah, her ex had kidnapped her, tried to rape her.. But she had gotten away with a few bruises. There were far worse things happening to people. She wanted to be strong, she just wanted to forget this whole thing...

Seeing the door knob turn, she quickly sniffed away her tears. "Everything alright?" she asked, looking up at Spencer.

"Yes. Hotch just wants to see me first thing in the morning. Nothing serious." He knew his unit chief would probably give him a talk about disobeying orders. But he doubted the consequences of his actions would be severe, maybe a note in his file. But Annie didn't need to worry about that now. He could see her eyes glistening.

"Are you okay?" he asked, a worried look on his face.

Forcing herself to smile she replied. "Yeah, I'm ok. I think I should really sleep. Will you stay here tonight?"

Hearing the quiver in her voice his chest tightened. He knew she was trying to to be strong and not show him how shaken up she still was. But he felt that tonight was not the time to talk about this. What she needed now was for him to be by her side so she could sleep.

Stroking her hand he placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Of course I'll stay..."

* * *

**Thanks again everyone! Don't forget to review! I might not be able to update tomorrow as we have an event at work but the weekend is coming soon so I'll have a lot of time! :-)**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hi everyone! **

**first of all, thanks for all your reviews, you are so awesome and always make my day! Without your wonderful reviews I wouldn't have half as much fun writing! **

**Sorry for not updating yesterday but I came home from work late at night. Soooo, here's a new chapter for you, hope you enjoy it! **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 25**

Walking into the elevator in Quantico the next day, Spencer's thoughts were still with Annie. She had fallen asleep pretty quickly, which hadn't surprised him. After he had spent the first hour trying to get comfortable on the chair, nurse Megan had offered him a folding cot the hospital provided for cases like this and he had gladly accepted. His sleep had been light and Annie had woken twice during the night after the events of the day had invaded her dreams again. He hoped things would get better in time but knew she would need all the support she could get. But he had vowed to himself that they would get through this. He knew how she felt, after being abducted by Tobias Henkel he had gone through hell. He had hidden his fears which had made it even worse and he promised himself he wouldn't let Annie do the same thing.

Entering the bullpen JJ, Emily, Morgan and Garcia came rushing to his side.

"How is she?" Rossi enquired as he joined them.

"I wish I could say she's okay, but she's not entirely. She woke up twice tonight because of her nightmares. But she's strong, she'll get through this." Reid replied.

Patting him on the shoulder, Rossi gave him a smile. "I'm sure she will kid, with you by her side. If you need anything, just say something. We're all here for both of you."

This was met by nods from the other team members.

"Thanks guys." Reid said, thankful for having friends, no, a family, like them. Looking up at Hotch's office, he grimaced. "Guess I should go, Hotch wants to talk to me."

"Don't worry Spence, he'll give you one of his speeches because he has to. But he of all people understands why you did what you did." JJ encouraged him.

Walking up to his unit chief's office Spencer hoped she was right. After knocking on the door and Hotch's "Come in" he entered the office.

"Reid.", Aaron briefly looked up from his papers and nodded to the chair.

As Spencer sat down, Hoch closed the file he was working on and crossed his hands on the desk.

"Reid, I know you probably want to get back to Annie as soon as possible so I'm gonna make this short. You disobeyed my orders yesterday, and while I can understand why you did I still have to give you a warning. This will go in your file, so make sure something like that doesn't happen again or I'll have a hard time defending you in front of Strauss, even if you're an extremely valuable member of this team."

When he didn't continue, Spencer asked: "That's it?"

"Yes. I will give you the next couple of days off so you can be there for Annie."

Spencer felt relief wash over him. "Thanks Hotch, I really appreciate it. And I'm sorry." Standing up, he walked to the door. As his hand reached for the doorhandle, he turned around when his boss adressed him again.

"And Reid. Between the two of us, I would have done the same thing." Giving him one of his rare smiles he continued. "I'm happy you found someone Reid, Annie seems like a great girl and if you two need any help in getting over this horrible experience just let me know." And with that he faced his paperwork again.

Leaving the room, Spencer was met by his team members.

"And?" Morgan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's fine, he gave me a warning and told me to be careful. Um, I should probably go back to the hospital. Annie's parents should be there by now and, um, she wants me to meet them."

"Mind if I go with you? I mean, it is customary to visit your friend's girlfriend in the hospital, right?" Derek asked with a grin. He knew Reid would be nervous about meeting the parents and while he would be thankful for having him there he would never outright ask him to come with him.

Spencer gave him a nod. "Sure, why not." He was grateful for the offer, he could do with the support. Walking to the elevator with Morgan he already felt better.

* * *

After Spencer had left Annie tried to occupy herself with watching TV. But she didn't even noticed what she was watching, her thoughts drifting back to the nightmares she'd had. In the dreams, she was back in the kitchen of the farmhouse and she was reliving everything. Her face had throbbed in pain when she had jolted awake. Spencer had been wonderful, he had held her hand and recited one of the books he had memorized in that eidetic brain of his. She smiled at the memory of him. She knew she would get through this with Spence at her side. She was still lost in her thoughts when the door was opened and a nurse peeked in.

"Ms. Barker, you have visitors. Robert and Caroline Barker, your parents?" she said.

"Mom! Dad!" she cried, as her parents appeared in the doorway.

Giving her a gentle hug, her mom looked at her with tears in her eyes at the sight of her daughters face. "Sweetie... How could this happen? I couldn't believe it when we got a call from the FBI..."

Her father was more composed as he gave her a kiss on her uninjured cheek, but Annie could see the anger in his eyes when he said. "I always told you that guy was bad news."

Rolling her eyes, she looked at him. "I know dad. But no one could have known he would do _this_..."

20 minutes later her mom had somewhat calmed down. They had both asked her what had exactly happened but she had told them she wasn't ready to talk about it, although her dad had protested at first. "Promise me you'll deal with this okay? We're here for you shortcake.", he had told her, using the pet name he had given her when she was a little girl. She had nodded and promised him so.

"But now tell me Annie, why was the Behavioral Analysis Unit involved in this? As far as I know they only get called in for special cases?" her father asked.

Annie chuckled to herself, of course her Dad, the lawyer, would ask about this. She knew this was the time to tell them about Spence, especially since he should be back from the office soon.

Looking at both her parents she said. "Well, um, the thing is... I've met someone."

Her mom gave her a surprised look. "You met someone? What does that have to do with the FBI? And why don't I know about that yet? You usually tell me stuff like that?"

"I know mum. Just let me explain. I would have told you, but we just met and you guys were at the cabin so I didn't have a chance to do so. His name is Dr. Spencer Reid and he's part of the BAU. Well, things have been moving quite fast between us... and when I went missing his team took the case."

"A Dr.? How old is this guy exactly?" her father asked, afraid his daughter had yet again made a questionable choice.

"He's 28 dad..." Annie replied, rolling her eyes again. "He's... he's very gifted. And he's sweet, and warm and... if it wasn't for him I might not be here...he saved my life..." she continued, lowering her eyes.

Seeing her husband raising an eyebrow at her, her mom jumped in, giving him a warning look. "I'm sure he is sweetie. It's just a lot of news to take in. Are we going to meet this Dr. Reid anytime soon?"

Knowing dad would always be protective of her, even if she was dating an FBI agent, Annie gave a huge smile. "Yeah, you will. He had to go to the office but he should be back soon."

Seeing his daughter smile Robert couldn't help but smile back. "Well, I guess anyone who can make my daughter smile like that can't be that bad."

Just then, there was a knock at the door and Annie looked up, her smile growing when she saw her boyfriend enter the room.

"Spence!"

* * *

**That's it for today! Sorry guys! :D Don't forget to review!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hi everyone! **

**Thank you for all the great reviews! And welcome to all new followers and reviewers! So here's a new chapter for you, I already started it yesterday, that's why I'm able to post this so early. Can't wait to hear what you think! **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

**Edith: Thanks to jmdernier for pointing out I forgot Spencer's third Ph.D.! I corrected that now!**

* * *

**Chapter 26**

Opening the door to Annie's hospital room, Spencer took a deep breath. The nurse they had met outside had informed Morgan and him that Annie's parents were here. Entering the room, the first thing he saw was Annie smiling at him, causing his heart to beat faster. She always had that effect on him and he was sure that would never change. Next to her was a couple he guessed to be in their 50s, Annie's parents. Her father was a tall man, dressed in casual slacks, a button-down shirt and a navy-blue sports coat. His hair was darker than Annie's with a few grey streaks in it and even though he smiled, his expression was still reserved.

When Spencer's glance fell on her mom he could immediately see the resemblance. She was short, like her daughter, and shared the same eye and hair color. She was dressed in jeans, a green blouse and a grey cardigan and she gave him a warm smile.

Seeing Spencer was nervous, Annie motioned for him to come closer. "Hi Spence. This is my mom and dad, Robert and Caroline Barker. Mom, dad, this is Spence."

Noticing Reid was still not moving Derek gave him a little nudge, making him realize he should probably say something. Stumbing forward he forced himself to overcome his dislike of shaking hands and extended his right one. Clearing his throat he felt himself blushing up to the roots of his hair.

Giving a shy smile he stammered. ". Um...hello Mrs. Barker, Mr. Barker, um... nice to meet you."

Shaking Spencer's hand, Caroline smiled as she took in the man that had obviously taken her daughters heart by storm. Even though the young man in front of her seemed very shy she immediately liked him. She had always had a sure feeling for people's characters and her first impression of Dr. Reid was a good one. And he was so different from Annie's ex, whom she had never liked. His features were soft but still masculine and while his style was certainly unique and a bit old-fashioned she could see why he appealed to her daughter.

"Hi, nice to meet you too. But please, call me Caroline." she replied, giving him another smile.

When Spencer moved to shake his hand, Robert Barker's thoughts were similar to those of his wife. Dr. Reid seemed a bit awkward to him but looking into the other man's eyes he could see honesty. That's something that had always bothered him about his daughter's ex-boyfriend, there was always something about Marcus he couldn't put a finger on. And he had been right... He had also seen how Spencer's eyes had lit up at the sight of Annie, confirming his daughter's earlier statement about how serious they were about one another.

"Dr. Reid, nice to meet you. This is quite the surprise, our daughter just told us about you. I guess we have to thank you and your team for all you've done."

Blushing even deeper, Spencer looked down on the floor, putting his hands in his pockets. "Um, there's no need... This, ... this is our job and how could I not..." he started, breaking off with a shy look at his girlfriend.

Annie smiled at him, giving him a small encouraging nod. He was just too cute when he was nervous like this, but she could see in her mom's eyes that she liked Spencer.

Wanting to put Spencer at ease, Morgan stepped forward and introduced himself to Annie's parents.

"Hi, nice to meet you both, I'm Agent Derek Morgan. I'm Spencer's colleague and friend." Looking at Mr. Barker, he added. "And he's right, no need to thank us, this is what we do and we are glad to do it. Even more so when it's someone like Annie who we already consider part of our little BAU family."

Giving a small nod, Robert turned back to the man who was dating his daughter. "So, Annie tells me you're only 28. How come someone your age is already a long-standing member of the FBI?"

Giving a little laugh, Morgan chimed in. "Well, Reid here is our resident genius. But tell them yourself."

By now Spencer was used to people asking him that question, so he gave his usual answer. "Well, um, I graduated high school when I was 12 and got my Ph.D.'s in Mathematics, Engineering and Chemistry from Caltech. I also have B.A.'s in Psychology and Sociology. I started at the FBI when I was 22."

Robert Barker couldn't help to be impressed. It seemed like his daughter hadn't exaggerated when she had told them he was gifted.

"I have to say, that's quite impressive. I actually have friend I went to Yale with, he teaches Biology at Caltech." he replied.

Spencer felt himself relax, this was familiar territory for him. "What's his name, maybe I know him." he asked.

Slowly, an easy-going conversation developed between her husband, Spencer and Morgan, so Caroline sat down next to Annie.

Leaning over, she gave her daughter a smile and whispered. "I like him sweetie, he seems a bit shy but I can see how much you mean to him."

Grabbing her mother's hand, Annie smiled back, her eyes lighting up. "I know mom, he is really shy but he's so great. It's crazy, but I feel like I've known him forever."

Glancing at the three men she smiled as she saw that her daughters boyfriend had seemed to relax. "And your dad seems quite impressed with him. I have a good feeling about this honey."

Glad that her mother approved of Spencer, Annie smiled as she saw how he was currently rambling on about some biology fact. But her father seemed to listen interestedly and she could see that he also liked Spencer.

Noticing the glances her daughter and Dr. Reid kept giving each other, she realized the couple would probably appreciate a few moments alone with each other. Standing, up she walked over to her husband's side.

"Honey, how about we get some coffee? Maybe Agent Morgan would like to join us?" she smiled.

Immediately realizing Mrs. Barkers intentions behind her request, he gave her a subtle wink. "Sounds like a good idea."

Taking her husbands arm, she smiled at Derek and lead the way out of the room.

* * *

Seeing Spencer relax even more as soon as they were alone, Annie smiled at him. Motioning for him to come closer, she smiled.

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it? And my mom already told me she likes you!"

Spencer smiled back as he slowly leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on her lips, something he had wanted to do ever since he stepped into the room. But doing so in front of Annie's parents wouldn't have been appropriate, not at their first meeting. And it was also too much out of his comfort zone.

"I really like your parents too Annie." he replied. "Although I have to admit this is still really weird for me."

Stroking his hand, she laughed. "I know Spence, but don't worry, the more you get to know them the more relaxed you will be. I've missed you..."

Smiling, Spencer squeezed her hand. "I've missed you too."

Remembering his appointment with the BAU unit chief, she asked. "How was your talk with Hotch?"

"Not too bad, he gave me a warning but there won't be any serious consequences. So everything is alright."

"That's a relief Spence. So..." she started.

"So...?" he replied, giving her a questioning look.

"Seeing as my parents and Morgan will be back soon, how about you give me another kiss?" she continued, sitting up and leaning closer to him.

Smiling, Spencer complied and placed his lips on hers. As he pulled away he felt her hand on the back of his head, pulling him closer again.

"Why so shy Spence?" she smiled, her lips only inches from his.

"I'm not shy.. But you're face is still swollen, I... I don't want to hurt you." he protested.

"You're not hurting me Spence.. besides... I've once read that kissing is good for healing. It releases a hormone that is stress and anxiety reducing...And you do want me to get better, right?" she whispered. Seeing his surprised look she chuckled. "Yeah Dr. you're not the only one who can state random facts" she smiled.

Returning her smile, Spencer felt her lips touch his again and as their tongues found each other he felt his heart beat faster, bursting with happiness...

* * *

**And again some fluff for you all, I couldn't resist. :-)  
**

**There will probably be a small time jump in the next chapter, not too big but just to help move things along in the story. :-) **

******Don't forget to review and I might even post another chapter today! ;-)**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hi guys!**

**Thanks for all the reviews, they keep me going. I have a feeling the more you review the more I write. :D **

**Here's another chapter for you! Love you all! **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 27**

Looking around Annie's apartment, Garcia was satisfied. After the initial shock of everything had worn off she had realized that Annie's apartment was still trashed from when Marcus came over... They couldn't have possibly let her come home to this so she had called up Morgan, JJ and Emily and together with Sarah they had made it their mission to restore Annie's place to it's former state. They had spent the first day getting rid of the broken things and cleaning the apartment. On the second day, Morgan had shown up with a brand-new flatscreen TV, generously bought by Rossi. The next day, Sarah and Penelope had just put the finishing touches on the place, the door had opened and Caroline and Robert Barker had stepped in. Sarah had introduced them to the BAU's tech analyst and Garcia and Annie's mom immediately hit it off.

It was now 10 am and Garcia had insisted to host a little get-together when Annie came home today after 4 days at the hospital. She had talked to Josh, Annie's sous-chef who had been taking care of the cafe and he had provided some Italian antipasti while Garcia had insisted to bake her famous chocolate chip cookies. This morning, she had driven to Annie's apartment with her hot stuff to get everything ready for welcoming Annie home. Spencer should be picking her up at the hospital any minute.

Taking a last look at the "Welcome Home" sign, she turned around when she heard a key in the door.

"Nooo, that can't be them Derek, no one's here yet!" she cried and was relieved when she saw Sarah step inside with Annie's parents right behind her.

"Hey Pen! I brought Caroline and Robert, are the others here yet?" Sarah asked, hugging her.

"Hi sweetie, no, you're the first to arrive. Welcome Mr. and Mrs. Barker!" Garcia replied just as the doorbell rang. As Morgan buzzed the rest of the team in, Garcia popped into the kitchen to get drinks for the guests.

Soon the apartment was quite crowded, JJ had brought Will and little Henry and Hotch had brought Jack along.

"The more the merrier I always say." Garcia announced, happy whenever her family had a chance to get together outside of work.

"Garcia, I hope Annie knows about this little party, I don't think it would be sensible to have a room full of people shouting "Surprise!" in her face after everything that's happened." Aaron asked her, giving her one of his serious looks.

"Of course we told her, in fact Spencer insisted we do. He's taken such good care of Annie in the last couple of days, our boy really has grown up." Penelope smiled.

Caroline and Robert both nodded in agreement. In the past days they had had the chance to get to know their daughters new boyfriend. They were both still impressed with his intellect and while his tendency to ramble on about certain topics slightly irritated them they had come to the conclusion that he was an honest and nice young man.

* * *

Walking up the steps to Annie's apartment, Spencer held her hand. Stopping in front of her door, they could already hear voices inside. Turning to her he gave her a quick kiss and gently stroked her left cheek. The swelling had gone down and the bandage on her head had been replaced by a medium-sized band-aid, covering the wound.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" he asked. He still wasn't convinced of Garcia's idea to invited the whole team. Annie's nightmares had returned every night and he had caught her several times deep in thought. But she had always insisted she was okay.

Rolling her eyes at him, Annie smiled. "Of course I am Spence. I'm looking forward to it."

Opening the door they were met by cheers. Garcia immediately dashed forward, embracing Annie in a hug.

"Welcome home sweetie!"

As Spencer set down her bag, Annie proceeded to greet everyone. She was genuinely touched that everyone had shown up. Just as she was hugging JJ, she felt someone poke her leg. Pulling away from JJ she saw little Henry look up to her.

"Look what I made!" he announced, holding up a drawing.

Bending down to him she smiled. "Wow! What a pretty drawing little man! Did you do that all by yourself?"

Nodding his head solemnly he replied. "Yes! This is you and this is uncle Spencer and this is a sun... I made it for you!"

Giving him a little hug Annie smiled up at his mom. "For me? Thank you so much Henry! This is going to look so nice on the fridge and I will see it every day and think of you!"

Frowning slightly he mustered her face. "What happened to you?" he asked, pointing at her cheek. "Did someone punch you? A boy punched me in kindergarten but then we made up."

Considering her answer for a second, Annie replied. "Yes, someone punched me but it's okay Henry. Spencer was there to help me."

Smiling again, Henry said: "That's good, he's a superhero!"

As Henry ran off again to play with Jack she stood up again turned to JJ and Will. "He is so adorable! You guys are so lucky." she smiled.

Soon everyone was scattered around the room. Her parents were talking to Dave and Aaron while Spencer and Garcia had been whisked off by the two little boys to play. Morgan was working his charm on Sarah.

Feeling a little overwhelmed at all this, Annie asked Emily, JJ and Will to excuse her and went into her bedroom. Quietly closing the door behind her she went over to the mirror. Every time she looked into one, she was briefly surprised by her bruised face looking back at her.

Taking a deep breath she sat down on the bed, her lips quivering. She was still struggling with everything that had happened. She sometimes wondered if those nightmares would ever go away. She didn't want to let this thing rule her life, she just wanted to forget it ever happened and move forward. Forward with her life with Spence... He had been so wonderful through all of this, spending every night on the rather uncomfortable bed in her hospital room and rushing to her side when she woke up from yet another bad dream.

* * *

She was still deep in thought when she heard the door open, briefly letting in the sound of chatter from the other room. Looking up, she saw Spencer enter the room and quickly brushed away a tear that had escaped her eye.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he walked over to the bed.

Forcing a smile, she replied. "Yeah, I'm fine Spence."

Sitting down next to her Spencer took her hand.

"I'm sorry Annie, but it's obvious you're not. You've been having nightmares every night, which is normal in your situation. And whenever you think no one is looking you are deep in thought. You only pretend to be okay. And I don't want you to feel like you have to pretend to be, not with me. You haven't talked about what happened to anyone yet but I know you think about it all the time."

Raising an eyebrow, she looked at him. "Are you profiling me?"

Taking a deep breath he continued. "No Annie, I'm not profiling you.I know this because I've been there..."

* * *

**Can't wait to hear what you all think! So review, review, review! :-)**


	28. Chapter 28

**Hi everyone! **

**First of all, thanks for all the great reviews! Especially my loyal readers like Sue1313, sunset's last lullaby, Criminal-Minds-superfan, gabbyreid and tannerose5. You guys rock! **

**I'm sorry the last chapter and this one are kind of short, but summer has truly arrived here and we've been having awesome weather. So I just had to take the opportunity to get a little tan and spend a lot of time outside. **

**So, enjoy and have a great Sunday! **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 28**

"I know this because I've been there..."

Annie could hear the hurt in his voice and looked up at him.

"What.. what do you mean Spence?" she asked, her voice surprised.

Looking into his lap, he began. "Four years ago there was this case. A young man named Tobias Hankel was killing people, punishing them for what he believed to be sins. Due to various circumstances, his mind fractured and split into three different personalities. JJ and I went to his house to question him, we didnt know then that he was our suspect. He fled and I went after him. He knocked me out and took me to a cabin near an old graveyard, where he held me for 2 days..."

As he made a little pause, Annie squeezed his hand. "Spence... you don't have to..."

Shaking his head he continued. "No, it's fine, I want you to to know this. While being in on of his personalities he tortured me, asking me to confess my sins and his other personality drugged me with Dilaudid, or Hydromorphone to ease the pain. It's an extremely addictive derivative of morphine. He made me dig my own grave but the team managed to get there in time and shot him. Before I left, I took the Dilaudid out of his pocket... I thought I needed it. I struggled with the addiction for a couple of months, using the drug to try and forget. But I've managed to get clean and I've dealt with what happened to me..."

Listening to Spencer's story, Annie felt a single tear run down her cheek. This was so much worse than what happened to her and here he was, still working as an FBI agent, still dealing with the most horrible things on a regular basis. She now saw a new side of Spencer, he wasn't just the highly intelligent, shy, slightly awkward young man people saw in him. And he wasn't just the man she had grown to love in such a short amount of time. No, he was so much more, he was stronger than she would have ever thought. And hearing his story actually gave her strength and confidence.

Spencer was doubtful for a moment if he had done the right thing. Maybe telling Annie he was a former drug addict was too much for their young relationship. But then he felt her arms wrap around his neck, embracing him in a hug. Putting his arms around her waist he pulled her closer as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. For a while there was no need for words, and the only sound in the room was their breathing, in sync with one another.

Slightly lifting her head, Annie placed a gentle kiss next to his ear. "Spence... I'm so sorry for what happened to you. But... but I know if you were able to get through this I will too." And it was true, she already felt more relaxed.

Moving his head to look at her he wiped away a tear from her cheek. "I'm okay now because I had people around to help me. Promise me you will talk about what happened? It doesn't have to be with me, just don't try to push it away, okay?"

Giving him a smile she kissed him. "I promise Spence. And if there's anyone besides my mom or Sarah I could talk to about this it's you."

Spencer could see she was already more relaxed and he was glad to see that sparkle in her eyes he loved so much slowly return.

"Now, you want to go back out there or should I tell them that you're tired and need to rest?" he asked.

Shaking her head, she replied: "No, it's fine Spence. I just needed this moment to myself." And giving a little laugh she added. "Plus, there's a ton of food out there that I'd hate to let go to waste. I don't know what Garcia was thinking, did she expect the entire FBI to show up?"

Her laugh was like music to his ears. "Oh, you don't know Garcia... Sometimes I have the impression she has made it her personal mission to make sure we don't starve." he chuckled. "According to Morgan she's worse than his mom."

"And I thought I was bad." she smiled back.

Standing up, Spencer extended his hand. "Okay, so let's go, they're probably already wondering were we are. I don't want anyone, especially your parents, to get the wrong idea about what we are doing in here..." he said immediately blushing again.

Taking his hand she got up and laughed. "Oh Spence, you're the cutest. Okay, let's go. But first, let me do this... "

And before he knew it she was pressing herself against his body, her arms wrapped around him. He felt his heart beat faster as her gentle kiss grew more passionate and his hands rested on her waist. As her fingers trailed down his neck he felt a shiver run through him and he intuitively grabbed her hips, pulling her even closer.

Feeling Spencer tighten his grasp, Annie gave a little smile. It seemed like with every day he was getting more confident. She knew with him by her side she would be okay. She could have lost herself in his kiss, feeling her body react to his touch. Her fingers slowly trailed a way from the back of his neck to his collarbone and she could feel his heartbeat through his chest.

Increasing the pressure on her mouth, Spencer noticed her breathing become faster. As he caressed her lower back, feeling her feminine curves against his body, a small moan escaped her lips and he felt his head spin.

Feeling a wave of heat rush through her, Annie forced herself to pull away from him and smiled.

"Now their idea of what we are doing won't be that wrong..." she winked.

Spencer gave a little laugh and blushed. He knew all about the chemical reactions of the human body to sexual stimulation, but he had never thought it would feel this good.

As she took his hand he smiled, the taste of her lips still on his, realizing that when it came to Annie, no biology book in the world could accurately describe what she made him feel...

* * *

Leaving her godson and Jack to play by themselves for a moment Garcia stood up from the kitchen table and walked over to Morgan, who was just helping himself to another one of her chocolate chip cookies. Seeing her approach him he gave her a wide smile, holding up the cookie.

"Baby girl, am I imagining this or do these get better every time you make them?"

Penelope laughed. "Just like me hot stuff, the more you have of it, the better it gets!" she winked. Her face a bit more serious, she continued. "You think Annie is okay? She was suddenly gone and Spencer went after her."

"Maybe it was all just a bit too much for her." Morgan answered. "But she's a strong girl, she'll get over this. And she's got Reid to take her mind off things."

As Garcia looked up she saw Spencer and Annie walk in from the bedroom, both smiling at each other, their faces glowing. Giving Derek a little nudge she chuckled. "Seems like he's already started." she said, nodding her head in their direction.

Looking over at them Morgan saw that both their lips were a deep shade of red and Spencer's cardigan was slightly out of place. Giving Garcia a wide grin, he replied. "I think you're right momma. Wouldn't have thought the kid had it in him to fool around with his girl with her parents in the next room."

As the couple reached them he put a hand on Spencer's shoulder. "Hey Reid, if you want I'll get rid of all these people here so you can get back in there." he chuckled, causing Reid to blush deeply.

Annie gave him a gentle punch on the arm. "Shh, Derek, stop it. My parents are right over there..." And giving him a little wink she added. "Guess you're just jealous, hm?"

Morgan let out a loud laugh. "I gotta give it to your girl kid, whatever you lack in sassiness, she makes up for." And turning to Annie he added. "Glad to see you've got your twinkle back."

Squeezing Spencer's hand, Annie gave him a kiss on the cheek. "What do you say? Want to get some food?" she asked, already pulling him towards the Italian dishes.

And before he could answer she leaned in again and what she whispered in his ear made him blush all over again:

"But Morgan's right, I wouldn't mind being alone with you right now..."

* * *

**I know, I know, lots of fluff in this chapter and things are heating up. I just couldn't resist. :D Don't forget to review! **


	29. Chapter 29

**Hi my lovelies! **

**First of all, thank you all for the great reviews! And sorry for not updating yesterday! We're in the middle of a major heat wave and I just had to enjoy it while it lasts and go swimming. :-) On the plus-side, it gave me some inspiration for my writing... :D **

**Important Note: I will try and update again tomorrow, but I don't know if I'll find the time. Work is busy and some friends are visiting us for a couple of days and I need to clean the apartment, prepare the guest room etc. So if I don't find the time, don't be mad if I don't update until next week, ok? I promise I'll make up for it and give you an extra awesome and fluffy chapter! **

**So, here's a new one, enjoy! I love you all! **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 29**

Waving goodbye to JJ, Will and little Henry, Annie closed the door of her apartment and turned around. The party had gone on longer than expected and it was already 8. All of the guests besides her parents and Spencer had left. Everyone had been so nice and she had thoroughly enjoyed herself. She smiled to herself as she saw Spencer and her dad sitting on the couch, talking about god knew what. Her dad had started questioning Spencer an hour ago and what she had feared to be an interrogation of her new boyfriend had turned into an animated conversation. The two most important men in her life seemed to have hit it off and she couldn't have been more happy.

As she picked up a few dirty plates from the coffee table she was interrupted by her mother.

"Oh no sweetie, you sit down and rest and let me clean up!"

Rolling her eyes, Annie replied: "Mom, I'm fine, let me help." and taking a deep breath, knowing she would be met by objections, she continued. "Besides, I'll be back to work tomorrow so what difference does it make?"

Hearing what she had just said, Spencer raised his eyebrow. "You already want to go back to work?" He knew how important the cafe was to Annie but he was worried she would overwork herself.

"Yes Spence, I want to and I need to. I have just opened this cafe and I'm not going to risk loosing my business by taking too much time off."

Her father joined in: "Shortcake, I think Spencer is right. Are you sure you're not going to overdo it?"

"Yeah sweetie, you can't go back to work yet!" her mom agreed.

Annie chuckled. "You three know each other for a couple of days and you're already ganging up on me? Guys, I know you mean well but I can't sit at home all day. I promise I will let Josh do all the hard work but at least let me be there to oversee things?"

She almost laughed out loud when she saw her parents and Spence give each other deliberating looks.

"Alright shortcake, but I want you to be careful and rest whenever you feel tired or dizzy okay?" her dad finally said.

"Of course I will dad..." Annie replied, rolling her eyes again. "But I should probably get to bed soon if I want to be ready for tomorrow." she continued, in the hopes of finally getting some time alone with Spence.

"You're right sweetie" her mom replied. And turning to her husband she continued. "So, you'll go back to the hotel and we'll see you tomorrow?"

Annie couldn't believe her ears. "What do you mean? You're not going mom?"

Shaking her head Caroline smiled. "Of course not honey, I brought an overnight bag so you wouldn't have to spend the first night back home alone. And since you moved here we don't get to spend as much time together so I thought it'd be nice."

Spencer saw Annie give him an annoyed look. By her expression he could see what she was thinking. He felt disappointed at not being able to spend the night with her but after their steamy kiss earlier a small part of him was also relieved, he was still nervous about taking this next step with her. And if they did he wanted it to be perfect and they were both tired from the long day and the excitement of the past events. Not that spending the night at her place would necessarily lead to that but still...

Annie knew there was no point in objecting, what was she supposed to do? Tell her parents she wanted to be alone with Spence for a steamy make-out session? Chuckling to herself at the thought she turned to her mom.

"Alright mom, you're right, it'll be fun."

Standing up, Robert grabbed his jacket and turned to Spencer. "So, guess it's time for us to leave the ladies to themselves." he smiled. "Caroline, let me help you with those dishes so we can give the young couple a minute to say goodbye."

Giving her dad a little smile, Annie accompanied Spencer to the door.

"I'm sorry Spence, I would have loved for you to spend the night..." she whispered, winking at him.

"Um, it's fine Annie, your mom misses you, I can see that. It'll be nice for you to have some time with her."

Leaning in, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Promise you'll dream of me."

A grin on his face, he replied. "I will. Should I drop by the cafe for lunch tomorrow?"

Nodding, she gave him a little kiss. "Yeah, that'd be nice."

Grabbing her waist, Spencer pulled her closer, placing his lips on hers. He had gotten so used to spending almost every minute of his day with her it would be weird to go home to his apartment and be alone. Wanting to take as much of her in before he left, his kiss grew more passionate when suddenly they heard a noise behind them.

"Ahem."

Spinning around they saw Robert and Caroline, both smirking at them.

"Um, so, I'll be going then. Um... see you tomorrow Annie. Um... goodbye to you too." Spencer stammered, giving a little wave and stumbling out the door.

Annie's cheeks were slightly blushed. "Um, sorry about that." she said to her parents.

"It's fine sweetie, we remember how it is to be young and in love, don't we?" her mother chuckled, giving her husband a little nudge.

"I thought we were still young and in love?" he laughed back.

Annie smiled, she was always amazed at how happy her parents still were after 30 years of marriage. She couldn't help but wonder what the future held for Spence and her. Shaking her head she pushed the thought away. It was way too early to think about that kind of stuff, but still...

* * *

Looking around the cafe, Annie smiled. Josh and the waitresses had done an amazing job in the days she had been away. She and her mom had arrived a couple of hours earlier and had found her business in excellent condition and already buzzing with guests. Under the watchful eye of Caroline, Annie had taken it easy and had taken more breaks than she would have needed...

Glancing at the clock above the coffee counter she saw it was almost lunchtime and Spencer would be here soon. Her mom and dad would be leaving tonight as her dad had to get back to work the next morning and they had agreed it would be nice for the four of them to have lunch together.

Her mom hadn't been able to resist helping in the kitchen and they had just finished preparing a large pot of minestrone, a tasteful Italian soup, when Spencer walked in. Seeing him, her heart beat faster and she practically ran up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I've missed you." she whispered in his ear.

Spencer smiled to himself. She really made him happier than he could ever wish for.

"I've missed you too". he replied. "Hi Mrs. Barker." he waved at her mom who was just coming out of the kitchen.

"Hi Spencer. And I told you to call me Caroline." she smiled back.

Soon after Annie's father arrived and they all sat down on Annie's favourite table by the window. They had just finished their main course and Annie was returning to the table with some freshly baked lemon cake when Spencer's phone rang.

Seeing the caller ID, he sighed and picked up. "Hi JJ, what's up?"

After listening for a minute, he replied. "Ok, I'll be there in 10."

Turning to Annie and her parents, he sighed again. "We have a case. In Oregon..."

He loved his job but he had hoped they wouldn't be called away so soon after Annie got out of the hospital. Especially with her parents leaving tonight.

Annie felt a brief rush of disappointment but quickly scolded herself. She could see this was hard enough for him. This was his job, this was what he did and it was one of the reasons she loved him. He was helping people, helping to make the world a little less dangerous.

"It's okay Spence." she said.

After he had said goodbye to her parents, Annie walked outside with him. Right now he hated that he had to do this.

"Are you gonna be okay? I'm sorry I have to do this..." he asked.

"Of course I'll be alright Spence. And there's nothing to be sorry for. This is your job and you're brilliant at it. Whatever the case is, they need you and the others there. So work that genius brain of yours as hard as you can and you'll be back in no time." she grinned.

Wrapping his arms around her, he hugged her tight, breathing in her scent. He knew this was just the first of many times he had to do this and he hoped she would still think the same way after it had happened a couple of times. Looking into her eyes, he stroked her cheek.

"I'll do what I can." he smiled.

As she leaned in for a kiss he held her tight, cherishing every second.

Pulling away from him, Annie gave him a little nudge. "You should get going, the others are probably waiting."

"Alright, I'll call you later okay?" he asked.

Nodding, she placed another small kiss on his lips. Watching him walk away she already missed him. She knew tonight would be weird, the first night alone since... Scolding herself again, she shook her head. She would be okay, she couldn't rely on someone being by her side all the time. And if she really needed someone she knew Sarah would come running in a minute.

Walking back into the cafe, she touched her lips, still warm from his kiss and smiled. She had a feeling their reunion would make up for the time spent apart...

* * *

**Can't wait to hear what you all think! And again, don't be mad if there's no update till next week! Don't forget to review! (yes, I'm begging haha).**


	30. Chapter 30

**Hi everyone!**

**First of all, thanks for all the great reviews! And sorry for not updating sooner but as I said, we had friends from out of town visiting and I was very busy. But we had an awesome time! :D **

**So now I'm back with a new chapter! I made it a longer one to make up for keeping you waiting so long! Hope you enjoy it! **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 30**

Rubbing his eyes, Spencer took another sip of coffee. It must have been his 5th cup today and it was only 11am. They had been in Oregon for a week now and had finally found a lead. A series of similar crimes had been committed 10 years ago and he and Morgan were currently going through some old case files. Stifling a yawn he turned the page.

"You alright kid?" Morgan looked up from his file.

"Yeah, I'm just really tired." They had gotten back to the hotel late last night, Hotch insisting they all get some sleep. He had called Annie, wanting to hear her voice before going to bed and what they had intended to be a short call had turned into a 2 hour conversation. He had to smile at the memory. Whenever he had a spare minute they had sent each other texts and he had tried to call her at least once a day. He missed her deeply and had found that the nightmares he used to have had been replaced by dreams of Annie and her warm body against his...

"Let me guess, another late night call with your girl?" Derek chuckled, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yeah, kind of. But when I talk to her, an hour seems like just a minute." Spencer blushed. "And she takes my mind of the things we deal with." he added, gesturing at the crime scene photos scattered around the table.

"I'm glad you finally have someone to have a personal life with Reid. Your life has revolved around work until you met her. I'm really happy for you." Morgan replied. "How is Annie doing?"

"She's good, she's spent the past four nights alone in her apartment and even though she still has the odd nightmare she's doing much better. And she's finally talking about what happened. With me, with Sarah. But still, I can't wait till we catch this unsub and I can get back to her..."

Morgan grinned. "I bet you do. So let's get back to these files to make sure you don't make her wait any longer."

And with that they both lowered their heads again, soon deeply engrossed in the case files.

* * *

Opening the door to her apartment, Annie quickly dropped her groceries in the kitchen and kicked off her shoes. It had been a busy day at the cafe and she was exhausted. She was glad Josh, Miranda and Holly had taken such good care of her business while she had been away and she had immensely enjoyed getting back to work this past week. Luckily tomorrow would be Sunday and the cafe would be closed.

Opening the fridge, she poured herself a glass of white wine and sat down on the couch. Getting her phone out of her bag she quickly typed.

_Hey Spence. Just got back from work, sooo exhausted. Your fault, you kept me up all night with that sexy voice of yours. ;-) Any new leads on the case? xoxo Annie_

Setting her phone on the table she smiled, she could almost see Spencer's blush when he read that text. They had talked till 2am last night and had only hung up after they had both almost fallen asleep while still on the phone. She had hoped they would solve the case fast but the team had been gone for a week and she really missed him

Sarah had insisted on spending the first nights at her place but then Annie had convinced her that she needed to be able to be alone sooner or later. The first night had been kind of weird, she had imagined noises in her apartment as soon as she turned off the lights. In the end she had decided to watch some TV to distract her overactive imagination and had fallen asleep on the couch. But she was already feeling much better and she had to admit that Spencer had been right. Talking about what happened really helped her and last night had been the first one without a nightmare. Hearing her phone beep she quickly picked it up. Reading Spencer's text a huge smile crossed her face:

_Finally a lead, with any luck we'll be back tomorrow. xoxo_

She quickly typed back.

_Great! You all be careful and say hi to the team! xoxo_

Taking another sip of whine she decided to call her best friend.

"Hey there sweetie! Your man back yet?" Sarah answered.

"Hi! No, not yet but they have a lead and if all goes well they'll be back tomorrow." Annie replied.

"Finally! I don't know how you do it Annie, I couldn't deal with my boyfriend being away all the time."

Annie frowned slightly at her friend's comment. "Of course I miss him, but this is what he does and he's brilliant at it. And I love him for it. Although I have to admit I can't wait for him to get back." she grinned.

"Haha, you've been talking about nothing else all week." Sarah laughed. "Hey, you want me to come over and watch a movie?"

"Thanks sweetie, but I'm exhausted. All I want to do tonight is take a bath and then go to bed. Don't be mad okay?"

"Course not sweetie. You probably need your sleep as you'll not get much once Spencer gets back if those hot kisses you told me about are any indication of his bedroom skills." she chuckled.

"Stop it Sarah!" Annie laughed. But she had to admit, her body was longing for his touch. She had never felt so attracted to a man and those passionate kisses had been haunting her all week. "And I told you he's still kind of shy and I don't want to push him."

"He might be shy but he's still a man." Sarah replied. "And the way I've seen him look at you I have a feeling you're in a for a treat." she snickered.

"You're unbelievable!" Annie couldn't help but chuckle. "Alright hun, talk to you tomorrow?"

"Okay. Have a good night filled with some sexy dreams." Sarah answered and with a laugh added. "And don't forget to shave those legs!"

"Ok, I'm hanging up now! Bye!"

Shaking her head, Annie hung up the phone, still laughing. Walking into the bathroom, she turned on the faucet and looked into the mirror. Her bruises were almost gone and the little that was left of them were easily covered up by some make up. She felt that the more the bruising faded, the better she felt. Walking to the bedroom, she took off her clothes and put on a robe. Grabbing her phone from the living room she decided she had definitely earned another glass on wine after today.

Getting into the tub 10 minutes later she instantly felt herself relax. Closing her eyes she took another sip of wine. She didn't know how much time had passed when her phone started ringing. Setting down her glass she quickly picked it up and smiled when she saw who it was.

"Hey Spence, what's up? Did you catch the bad guy yet?"

On the other end, Spencer could hear the smile in her voice. "Yeah, we got the guy. Finally!" he replied.

"Great! So does that mean you'll be home soon?"

"Yeah. It's pretty late already so we'll be out of here first thing in the morning." he said. Hearing a weird splashing noise through the line he frowned. "Where are you?"

"Oh, I'm in the tub." Annie smiled. "You know I love taking baths. I know you prefer showers but maybe I can convince you otherwise..." she added, a little giggle escaping her mouth.

Spencer felt himself blush as his mind was filled with images of Annie in the bathtub..

"Um, yeah, so, we still have some paperwork to file here so, um, I'll call you when I'm back at the hotel okay?" he stammered, quickly turning around when he saw Morgan give him an odd look.

"Okay. And say hi to the team, good work! Love you! " Annie grinned, noticing his flurry.

"Love you too."

Hanging up the phone she chuckled to herself. She really had never met a guy like Spence, but she loved that he wasn't like most other men. Most guys she had gone out with had at least tried to have sex on the first date but Spencer was different. But just thinking about him made her heart beat faster and she wondered if they would take things to the next stage once he was back. Deciding to take Sara's advice, just in case, she grabbed her shaver...

* * *

"Love you too!"

Spencer spun around when he heard Morgans voice behind him and saw his friend laughing. Putting his phone back in his pocket he slapped his arm.

"Stop it Morgan."

"Aw, come on pretty boy. You two lovebirds are just too cute." Derek chuckled.

Knowing that being defensive would only spur Morgan on Spencer gave him a wide grin: "Guess you're just jealous I have a pretty girl waiting for me at home."

And with that, he turned around and walked back inside the police station as Morgan's jaw dropped, leaving him speechless..

* * *

An hour later, wrapped in a towel, Annie was just opening her drawer to get out some shorts and a shirt she heard her phone ring again. Picking it up she was greeted by a now familiar bubbly voice.

"Hey Cupcake! Pen here! How are you?"

Smiling, she replied. "Hey Garcia, Spence is coming back tomorrow so I'm great. You?"

"I'm excellent sweetie now that I know my babies will soon be back! Listen, I just talked to Rossi. And since tomorrow is Sunday and this has been such a long and hard case and the weather is awesome he decided to throw a little pool party at his house - oh no excuse me, MANSION - tomorrow." Garcia practically screeched down the line.

"Well..." Annie started. She had looked forward to spending some time alone with Spencer but she also knew that the team was a tight-knit family and she didn't want to be the one spoiling the fun.

"I know, I know." Garcia interrupted her. "You and Reid can't wait to see each other again and get some alone time, Morgan has told me all about your late night phone calls." she chuckled. "I promise, it's gonna be awesome, Dave's mansion is beautiful and there are enough rooms to sneak away to if you know what I mean..."

"Penelope!", Annie laughed. "You two are almost as bad as Sarah!"

"Ha! Why do you think I love your best friend so much, almost as much as I love you!" Garcia laughed back. "So you're in?"

"Of course I'm in Garcia, how could I say no to you." Annie smiled. "I'm looking forward to seeing you all again!"

"Alright sweetie, see you tomorrow! Love ya!"

Hanging up the phone, Annie smiled. She really was looking forward to see them all again. And maybe a party and herself in a bikini was just the thing to get Spencer to loosen up a little...

* * *

**Haha, Spencer's in for a treat! ;-) Hope you all liked it and don't forget to review! Already working on the next chapter, should be up tomorrow!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Hi guys!**

**As I haven't updated for a week I thought I'd treat you guys to another chapter! That week without writing gave me a rush of inspiration! :D **

**Hope you enjoy it! ;-) **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 31**

Waking up the next morning, Annie felt giddy with excitement. Spencer had called her again last night after getting back to the hotel and informed her they would be back at the BAU at 11am. Penelope had suggested to meet her at the office and they would all go to Rossi's place from there. She practically jumped out of bed and took a quick shower. Standing in front of her closet, she contemplated what to wear. It was an unusually hot day and she opted for some dark denim shorts with a bright yellow, loose-fitting halter top, embroidered with green beads along the neckline. Tying her hair in a messy ponytail she stuffed her bikini inside her bag and grabbed her sunglasses and keys from the table by the door.

Driving up to the FBI building in Quantico she hoped Penelope had done as she promised and put her name on the visitors list. Stopping at the gate she opened the window of her 1957 Beetle and smiled at the security guard.

"Hi, my name's Annie Barker, I'm here to see Penelope Garcia."

The guard quickly scanned his list and handed her an identity tag. "Wear this at all times. Drive right through, take a left, second building, fifth floor."

Parking her car in front of a large building she spotted Penelope at the entrance.

"Hey sweetie!" Garcia waved at her as she got out of the cars. "They're not here yet, but let me show you around!"

Giving Penelope a hug she followed her into the elevator after passing two more security checks. Getting off at the second floor, she followed Garcia through glass doors.

"Up there are JJ's, Hotch's and Rossi's offices, the others sit here." she said, gesturing at a couple of desks.

Annie noticed a stash of books at one of the tables. "Let me guess, this is Spence's desk?" she grinned.

"Who else's?" Garcia laughed. "And now, to my bat cave!"

"Bat cave?"

"Yeah, that's what I call my office. Follow me!" Penelope gestured and they walked into a room secured with a keycard system. "And this, cutie pie, is my world!"

Annie smiled as she took a look around Pen's office. She counted five computer screens on the desks and several larger ones mounted on the wall. The whole place screamed of the bubbly blonde, filled with colorful knick-knacks.

"This is so you! I love it!" she smiled at her friend.

"Of course you do! The team should be here any minute, want some coffee?"

"Sure, I'd love to." Annie replied.

* * *

Getting off the plane, Spencer felt his heart beat faster. Only a couple of minutes and he would see Annie again. He had barely been able to sleep last night, knowing he would hold her in his arms soon.

"Excited to see your girl Reid?" Rossi interrupted his thoughts.

Spencer couldn't hide the huge smile creeping up on his face. "Yes, I am." he nodded as they stepped into the elevator.

"I can see that, you've got love written all over your face kid." Dave chuckled. "Ready for the pool party?"

Emily had overheard and gave a little laugh. "Got your swim trunks ready Reid?"

"I'm actually not that fond of swimming, I guess I'll just sit in the shade and ..." he started, stepping off the elevator as he was interrupted by a loud screech.

"Spence!"

He looked up and there was Annie, his Annie, looking even more beautiful than he remembered in shorts, a halter top and flip flops, running towards him. Before he knew what hit him she jumped at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Dropping his go bag he quickly wrapped his arms around her and held her up as she nuzzled his neck. He breathed in her scent and felt happiness rush through him.

"I'm so glad you're back..." she whispered, pressing a kiss on his ear, sending shivers down his spine. He didn't even care that the whole team was watching them, he was just happy to have her back in his arms. He didn't think anyone had ever been that excited to see him.

Hugging her close one more time he whispered back. "Me too."

"Seems like someone's been missing you pretty boy." he heard Morgan chuckle next to him and looked up to see his team smiling at him.

"Ah, to be young and in love again. Why don't I have a pretty young girl so happy to see me back." Dave sighed, giving a little laugh.

"Yeah Rossi, like you'd ever suffered from a shortage of women." JJ snorted.

As Spencer lowered her down again, she planted a little kiss on his lips. Turning around she faced Rossi and gave him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. "Happy now?" she winked.

"Haha, I know a pity kiss when I get one." Dave winked back. "But thanks anyways. Reid's a lucky man. So, how about we get going? There's a pool and some cold drinks waiting!"

As Annie took his hand Spencer and her walked back to the elevator. Spencer was grinning from ear to ear. He not only loved Annie, he loved that she got on so well with his team.

Getting into the car, Annie was happy to finally have a moment alone with Spence. Turning to him she pulled him close and placed her lips on his. As she parted her lips she felt his tongue gently brush hers when he suddenly grabbed the back of her head and his kiss grew more passionate. His other hand was stroking her shoulder and she felt herself shiver at his touch. Pulling apart they were both panting.

"So you really did miss me." she grinned.

"I did." he smiled. "You have no idea how much I did..."

* * *

Driving up to Rossi's house Annie let out a small gasp.

"Ok, I thought Garcia was joking, but this really is a mansion!"

Spencer laughed. "Yes, I guess it is. Rossi has been very successful as a writer and he always insists that living in style is the best way to spend his money."

As they walked through the large double doors Annie looked around. The house was big but it wasn't too flashy and had a definite Italian touch to it. Walking through the living room they went out back to the terrace where they found a large pool surrounded by sunbeds.

"I told you it's amazing." Garcia appeared beside them, giving Annie a huge smile.

Half an hour later, everyone had gathered around the large outdoor dining table and despite it being only noon Rossi had insisted on serving them some drinks. Will had arrived with little Henry and Jack in tow and the two boys were running around on the grass playing under the watchful eye of their parents.

The sun was getting stronger by the minute and soon Garcia turned to Dave. "So Mr. Mansion, is there a room in this place where we can get changed? This is a pool party right?" she laughed, already slightly tipsy from the drinks.

"Sure, up the stairs, first two bedrooms on the right are guest rooms, you can use those."

Jumping up Garcia grabbed her bag and pulled Annie, Emily and JJ with her. "Let's go girls, time to work on that tan!" she announced happily.

* * *

Watching the four women disappear inside the house Morgan chuckled. "That's my baby girl, she's sure to get any party into full swing. You're gonna swim too Spence?"

"Um, no, not yet anyways." Reid replied. He wasn't really comfortable running around half-naked, even if it was only his team there. Taking another sip of his cold drink, he looked up when he saw his godson and Jack run towards him.

"Spence, show Jack what you can find behind his ear!" Henry screeched.

Laughing, Spencer gestured Hotch's son to get closer and put his hand behind his ear. Pulling a coin from behind it, he showed it to Jack with a grin.

"Wow! Do it again!" Jack said, his eyes wide.

"They're not gonna leave you alone all afternoon Reid!" Morgan laughed.

But Spencer didn't even hear him. He felt like was about to faint as he caught sight of Annie as she was stepping outside again with the others and walked towards the pool, giving him a little wave and smile. She was wearing a coral pink polka dot bikini. His jaw dropped as his eyes slowly traveled over her body. Her skin looked so smooth and he felt himself stare at her full breasts, held together by a halter top, creating just the right amount of cleavage. He felt his heart beat faster and felt a wave of heat rush over him as his eyes moved further down, now resting on her curvy hips. He had never seen anything more beautiful in his life, and he had certainly never felt anything like the desire rushing through him. Licking his lips he noticed that he was actually gripping the armrest of the chair he was sitting on.

"Uncle Spence! Do it again!"

Snapping out of his trance-like state he saw little Henry and Jack looking up at him. Glancing over at Morgan he blushed when he saw his friend's grin.

"Boys, I think Uncle Spence needs to cool off first, it's pretty hot out here in the sun." Derek chuckled. "Why don't you change into your swim trunks, see Henry, your mom's already in the pool."

Looking after the two boys scurrying off in delight he gave Spencer a little wink.

"Man Reid, I've never seen you like this." he laughed, slapping him on the shoulder. "But hey, I'm not blaming you, that girl of yours has some curves going on!"

Spencer felt the tiniest amount of anger rise up in him. "Morgan! That's my girlfriend you're talking about!" he snapped.

Holding up his hands Derek smiled. "Calm down Reid, I'm not getting onto your turf, I just appreciate all beautiful women. Besides, I'd never have a chance with her, she's clearly head over heels in love with you. And by the way she just batted her eyelashes at you, you're in for some action." he chuckled.

Giving his friend an apologetic look, Spencer replied. "I'm sorry Morgan. I don't know what got into me..."

"Love got into you kid, well, that and years of sexual abstinence I guess..." Derek snickered. "So I take it you haven't done it yet?"

"Morgan!" Spencer gasped, his blush deepening again.

"Alright, alright, I know you're not comfortable talking about that. But I have a feeling your drought may soon be over...", Morgan replied, standing up and walking inside.

Spencer wasn't listening anymore. His gaze was fixed on Annie again who had just gotten out of the pool again, drops of water running down her body. She was coming closer and he swallowed hard when she reached him and bent down to kiss him.

"The water is amazing Spence, you should really give it a try." she smiled at him. She had noticed his stare a couple of minutes earlier and had to suppress a grin. His eyes had a hunger in them she had never seen before and it made her body tingle with excitement. She had to resist the urge to ditch this whole pool party and rush home with him. But she didn't want to seem desperate, hell, she might even scare him away...

"Um, not right now, thanks. Maybe later. I, I promised to help Dave with the food..." Spencer stammered, not able to tear his eyes from her.

"Alright, you need help?" she asked and was interrupted by splashing and the voice of Henry screeching at her from the pool. "Annieeeee! You have to play too!"

Relaxing a little, Spencer smiled at his godson and then at Annie. "No, seems like you're needed elsewhere."

Bending down, Annie gave him another kiss and laughed. "I guess I am. See you later."

As she walked away she could feel his eyes following her and she couldn't help but put a little bit of extra swing into her hips...

* * *

**So what do you think guys? I guess we all know where this is going... :D I'm just having a bit of a hard time figuring out exactly how hot I will make this since I want to keep it steamy but tasteful. Not that easy. ;-) All suggestions / opinions welcome! :D**


	32. Chapter 32

**Hi everyone! **

**I'm back with another chapter! Thanks for all your reviews and opinions, I love you all! :D We're not quite "_there"_ yet but I hope you enjoy this chapter anyways. **

**To answer gabbyreid's question: To be honest, I don't know how many more chapters I'll write, I'm just taking this story as it goes. But I already have some ideas for a sequel... :D **

**So, enjoy!**

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 32**

Looking after Annie as she walked away Spencer swallowed hard. Her hips were swaying from side to side and he found the movement an incredible turn-on. All these feelings were so new to him, he had never looked at any women the way he looked at Annie. As his eyes moved further up he was captivated by her lower back, the cords of her bikini dangling on her smooth skin. As his thoughts wandered off yet again he imagined what it would feel like to wrap his hands around her waist, feel the curves of her body and slowly reach up to untie her bikini top, his fingers trailing the drops of water slowly running down her back...

Once again his thoughts were interrupted by a voice.

"You coming kid?" Rossi asked, a smirk on his face.

"Um yeah. I... I was just..." Spencer stammered, standing up and almost knocking over his glass.

Rossi looked in the direction where Reid had been staring and chuckled. "You know, you're allowed to look Reid, she's your girlfriend."

Spencer felt another blush creep up his face. "Um, I wasn't, I..."

"It's okay kid. Now you're gonna help me with the food or what?" Rossi replied, already walking back inside.

* * *

"Again dad!" Jack screeched in the shallow end of the pool, holding up his hands.

Annie opened her eyes and used her hand to shield herself from the sun. Looking at the scene in front of her she smiled. She, JJ, Garcia and Emily had been lying on the immensely comfortable sunbeds for the past half hour while Hotch and Will had entertained their sons in the pool by picking them up on their shoulders and splashing around.

"Those two sure are a handful." Annie laughed.

"Yeah, they are. It's times like these when I think I can easily wait another couple of years before I start a family of my own..." Emily commented.

"Aw, no, they might be active but look at them, they are adorable!" Annie replied with a smile.

"So you wanna have kids one day?" JJ asked, an innocent look on her face.

"Of course I do!" Annie slipped out before realizing there was a whole other set of questions behind that one.

"Ohhh, I can almost hear the sound of little genius feet pattering around!" Garcia screeched, causing a round of giggles from Emily and JJ.

"Oh shut up Pen, it's way too early for that..." Annie replied with a small blush.

"I know, I know cupcake, but you two would make such cute babies!" Penelope insisted.

"Guys, leave her alone, you're terrible!" Emily interrupted. "Don't mind Garcia, she just can't wait for another BAU baby to arrive, she's even tried hooking me up with some of her weird friends..."

"They were not weird!" Garcia gasped. "Well, okay, maybe they were." she giggled. "But I just love to see this family growing!"

Annie smiled. She loved Penelope way too much to be mad at her. And she couldn't help her mind wander off and imagine what it would be like to start a family with Spencer... Shaking her head she scolded herself. It really was way too early to even think about that. First things first, she thought...

* * *

Another half hour later all of them were gathered around the large outdoor table. Rossi had outdone himself again and with a little help from Spencer, he had prepared some Italian antipasti: Mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, grilled vegetables in olive oil, bruschetta, insalata di frutti di mare and even some vitello tonnato. They were all munching along, the table alive with chatter.

"Ok, you, Mr. are the true master!" Annie exclaimed as she took another mouthful. "I need that recipe!"

"Family secret, sorry. But we'll see, maybe I'll change my mind, since there isn't anyone I could pass this on to. And at least I know you'd treasure it." he winked at her.

"Annie, will you go in the pool again after lunch?" Henry, who had insisted to sit between her and Spencer asked, poking her arm.

"Sure we can if your mom says yes. But first we'll have to wait a bit, okay?" she replied, ruffling his hair.

"Will Uncle Spence come too?" he asked, his eyes hopeful.

"I don't know sweetie, why don't you ask him yourself?" she said, grinning at Spencer.

Spencer knew he couldn't bring himself to deny his godson's request, even though he really wasn't that keen on swimming.

"Alright, I'll come with you. But only if you finish your veggies." he smiled.

* * *

Helping Rossi and Emily to put the plates into the dishwasher, Annie again complimented him on his food.

"You really are an amazing cook Dave."

"So are you bella." he smiled. "We should cook together someday."

"Good idea!" Annie replied. "I bet you can teach me a few things, since you have a lot more years of experience."

"Are you calling me old?" he chuckled, giving her a mock-angry look. "And now off you go you two, enjoy the pool. I'll finish here and then join you all."

Walking back outside again Annie immediately caught sight of little Henry pulling Spencer towards the pool. She could barely hold back an appreciative whistle at what she saw. He was in knee-length grey swim trunks and as her eyes skimmed over his body she couldn't help but be surprised. Yes, he was skinny but he was much more defined than she would have thought. She caught herself staring at his biceps as he picked up Henry and carried him into the pool. Her stomach was giving her butterflies and she smiled to herself at the thought of what might happen tonight...

Walking down the steps into the water, she smiled at Spencer and Henry. They were splashing each other with water, both laughing. She loved seeing Spence so relaxed. It was obvious how much he loved his godson.

Taking a few more steps she was beside Henry.

"Annie, help me!" he screeched at her.

"Alright buddy, together we can take him." she laughed and started splashing water at Spencer, giving him a little wink.

"You think so?" he laughed back and waved to Derek who was just approaching the pool. "Morgan, get in here, we're supposed to be a team!"

* * *

A few hours later the two boys had calmed down considerably, exhausted from playing. It had been such a fun day and Spencer hadn't felt that happy in a long time. His team had truly welcomed Annie as part of the family. Emily had excused herself an hour ago as she had a long-standing date with a friend. JJ, Will, Hotch, Rossi, Garcia and Morgan had opened a bottle of wine and settled in a comfortable lounge area further away from the pool. Spencer stepped outside again, he had just turned on the TV for Jack and Henry to watch some cartoons. The sun was slowly setting and he glanced over the large garden where he saw Annie still in the pool, taking long strokes from one end to the other. He smiled, she apparently not only liked to take baths in her tub but loved everything to do with water.

As he slowly approached her she smiled up at him.

"Care to join me?" she winked.

Nodding his head, he sat down on the edge of the pool and let himself glide in. His body was barely immersed in the water when Annie reached him with a few strokes and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hey there..." she smiled, giving him a little kiss.

He felt his heart flutter as he felt her smooth skin briefly touch his. He shot a glance at his team, they were sitting quite a distance away and were deep in conversation.

Following his gaze Annie chuckled. "Don't worry Spence, they can barely see us and we're not doing anything indecent."

He gave a little laugh. "You're right."

Gathering all the confidence he could find he slowly wrapped his arms around her waist underwater and noticed how her wet skin was so soft. When he looked into her eyes he saw longing in them. Her hand was now trailing down his neck to his shoulder and then to his arm, making his heart beat faster.

"I have to say Doctor, you hide those muscles well..." she whispered in his ear, her breath sending shivers down his spine and body parts he had neglected until now...

His instincts took over and he pulled her closer, finding her lips. Her other hand was gently caressing the back of his neck as he parted her lips with his tongue. She immediately responded, arching her back and pressing herself closer against him. Feeling her almost naked body against his bare chest he thought he would loose his mind. It was like time stood still as his fingers painted invisible circles on her lower back and he felt her shiver. Her breasts softly pressed against him and his heart picked up the pace as, through her bikini, he felt her nipples brush his skin...

Annie didn't know how much time had passed. She was lost in Spencer's kiss and his touch. The sensation of the cool water and his skin against hers she felt more aroused with every second. Their breathing was heavy and she was longing for his hands to explore other parts of her body. Pulling away from him she was panting.

"Well so much for not doing anything indecent..." she breathed, her voice barely a whisper. "Want to get out of here? I'd really prefer to be alone with you right now..."

Spencer felt his heart skip a beat. He felt nervous but his heart and body told him he wanted this. Nodding his head he pressed another kiss on her lips...

* * *

**Sooo, what do you think! Please review, I'm really anxious to hear what you think! I don't know if I'll update tomorrow as I really, really want the next chapter to be extra-good and special! *wink* **

**Again, don't forget to review! **


	33. Chapter 33

**Hi my lovely readers! **

**Okay guys, today wasn't really busy and the weather sucks so I started writing this afternoon and now it's 10pm, haha. I'm not kidding, it took me about 5-6 hours to finish this chapter as I wanted it to be as perfect as possible. :D I think I reread it about 20 times and I hope you will all like it. Thank you all for your great reviews, you make this all worth it! **

_**Warning: While I wouldn't say this chapter classifies as smut, it's definitely M-rated! ;-)**_

**Aww, I'm giddy with excitement to hear what you all think of it!**

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 33**

Walking the few steps to Spencer's apartment, Annie felt her heart flutter. Squeezing his hand she was holding, she smiled up at him. After getting out of the pool they had quickly changed and said their goodbyes to the team. Morgan and Garcia had had a field day, winking at them and throwing a couple of suggestive remarks around. She didn't care, she just wanted to be alone with Spence.

Spencer smiled back at Annie and felt his stomach give a little twist. The car ride had been unusually silent. Now he knew what people meant when they talked about sexual tension being graspable. They both knew where this was going and despite being nervous he knew he wanted this. He wanted to feel Annie's body next to his, explore every inch of it. His heart was beating fast in his chest as he opened the front door of his building and led Annie upstairs.

Walking up the stairs behind him, his hand still in hers, Annie felt herself slightly shaking. It had been some time since he had been intimate with someone and she knew this time it would be different. She had never loved anyone like she loved Spencer, she knew this would be special. She couldn't suppress a light chuckle when Spence fumbled with his keys and dropped them on the floor as he tried opening the door to his apartment. He was clearly even more nervous than she was.

"Spence..." she whispered and he looked up at her, his eyes wide. Stroking his cheek she planted a light kiss on his lips. Bending down she retrieved the keys and opened the door.

The apartment was bathed in the faint glow of the setting sun streaming through the windows as Spencer felt himself being pulled inside by Annie. Closing the door behind him he turned around and looked into her eyes which somehow seemed a darker shade of blue than usually. The look she gave him and the way she briefly licked her lips made his heart beat even faster and he couldn't resist the urge to pull her towards him, his hands clasping her hips. For a minute, time stood still as they looked into each other's eyes, their lips almost touching.

Annie could feel Spencer's breath against her lips. His hands were gripping her waist, and as he lowered his mouth on hers she could feel him gently massaging her curves, sending shivers through her. She pressed herself against him, her hands in his hair as his tongue played with hers, their breathing already heavy. Pulling away from him she smiled.

"Um, should we..." she started, nodding her head in the direction of his bedroom.

Swallowing hard, Spencer nodded."Um, yeah..." was all he could stammer.

Taking her hand he lead her towards the bedroom. He had barely closed the door when he felt Annie grab his shirt, yanking him towards her again, her lips crashing onto his. His heart was hammering in his chest as their kiss grew more hungry, more raw, and they tumbled towards the bed. Before he knew it, he was on his back, Annie straddling him. His hands found the bare patch of skin on her back as he felt her lips move from his mouth to his neck. Her panting breath shot sparks through his body. He wanted to touch all of her but couldn't bring himself to make the next move.

Knowing she wanted to address this now rather than later she stopped and looked at him. She knew what she said next wasn't necessarily the most romantic thing but she didn't want to come off as irresponsible. Slightly blushing, she asked: "Um, do you have anything, you know, for protection?"

Spencer felt his heart drop for a minute. "Um, no, I... I don't usually... " he stammered.

Giving him a soothing smile she stroked his cheek. "I'm on the pill Spence, and I haven't been with anyone in some time and I'm safe and..." she broke off.

Spencer felt relief wash over him. "It's fine Annie..." he whispered and once again felt her mouth on his.

Annie felt a rush of heat run through her as she felt Spencer's hands on her back. Her left hand cupped his cheek while her other hand rested on his chest. Her fingers seemed to have a life of their own as she started nestling on the buttons of his shirt, feeling the beat of his heart. Nibbling on his ear she felt him shiver as she breathed in the scent she loved so much. Moving her mouth back to his lips their kisses became more furious again and through her shorts she could feel his hardness press against her. As his hands grabbed her she could feel his thumbs brush her breasts, immediately retreating again. It was driving her crazy, she had never felt a longing like that. Pulling away from him, she breathed hard as she looked into his eyes.

"Touch me Spence..." she whispered.

Spencer felt another wave of heat at her words and the sight of her above him, her hair messy, her lips slightly swollen. Biting his lip he moved his hands to her hips again and gently slid them under her top. He thought his heart might stop when Annie's mouth curled into a small smile as she sat up and pulled her halter top over hear head, revealing the bikini top that had driven him crazy all day. He swallowed hard as his gaze traveled from her lips further down, stopping at her full breasts. He felt her opening up the last buttons of his shirt and sat up when he felt her push it off his shoulders. Her face was now close again and he took her lips in a passionate kiss again, her upper body pressed against his. Gathering all the confidence he could find his hands slowly traveled from her waist to her back and he held his breath as he slowly untied her bikini...

Annie couldn't hold back a smile as she felt her bikini top now loose on her body. The thin fabric was still covering her breasts as his mouth moved from her lips down her jaw to her neck. She felt a shiver run through her and a small moan escaped her mouth at the sensation, causing Spencer to look up at her, his expression surprised. Planting a kiss on his mouth she used the moment and pulled her bikini over hear head, feeling her stomach give a little twist as she saw Spence's eyes widen with desire. Feeling his hands tentatively move from her belly further up, her skin tingled and she closed her eyes, her lips slightly parted.

Spencer still couldn't quite believe what was happening to him. His whole body was on fire as his hands cupped her breasts. Her lips were slightly parted and he couldn't resist the urge to taker her mouth in yet another passionate kiss. He felt his hardness press against his pants at the sudden sensation of her nipples hardening as he gently brushed over them while his mouth planted gentle kisses down to her collarbone. He breathed in her scent, she smelled of sun, a hint of sweetness and well, Annie. Hearing another moan from Annie all his nervousness suddenly disappeared and he flipped her over so she was on her back next to him. His left hand trailed circles down her side as his other hand cupped her breast and he lowered his mouth, his tongue circling her nipple.

Feeling Spencer's mouth close around her nipple, Annie let out another moan and arched her back. Her head was actually spinning as she felt his hand trail down over her belly button and nestle on the button of her shorts. Raising her hips he pulled them down and she shivered as his hand stroked her thighs. A wave of passion overcame her as his mouth found hers again and their movements become more frantic. Before she knew it she had yanked off his pants and pushed him on his back.

Spencer thought he might faint as Annie caressed his body. Her fingers were gently brushing his chest down to his belly, coming to a stop at the waistband of his boxers. He sucked in his breath as they slowly slid further down over his underwear, lightly brushing his manhood. He couldn't hold back the moan that now escaped his mouth at her touch and the feeling of her mouth gently nibbling on his neck. Desire overcame him and his hands, as if they had a life of their own, slowly pulled down her bikini bottoms, revealing a trimmed strip of soft brown curls. He hesitated slightly, blushing as he looked into Annie's eyes. His hand was slightly shaking when she took it and gently guided it down over her belly. As he reached the soft folds between her legs another wave of heat overcame him and he felt pride overcome him when her hips bucked up at his touch, her soft moans like music to his ears.

Annie didn't know how much time had passed. Spencer's hands were all over her and she knew she had never felt so hot in her life. Somehow in the process his boxers had come off and she almost gave an impressed whistle at what she saw. Her hand slowly slid down his chest and when she began to gently stroke his length she felt him shiver. His mouth was kissing her neck, her breasts, driving her crazy with desire.

Spencer would never have thought he could ever feel this way. As he explored Annie's body he was in awe of her beauty, he just couldn't get enough of her. And when she touched him, he felt like he had died and gone to heaven. Feeling her pull away from him he looked into her eyes, filled with lust and desire.

"Spence... I need you... now..." she whispered.

"Annie..." was all he could breath out as his lips found hers again in another passionate kiss.

Pulling Spencer above her, Annie slowly spread her legs, their lips still touching, their tongues gently playing with each other. She felt him pull away and opened her eyes, looking into his.

"I... I love you Annie", his voice barely a whisper, his eyes filled with love and desire.

Cupping his cheek and pulling her towards her she pressed her lips against his.

"I love you Spence" she whispered against his mouth as she felt him lower his body, slowly sliding into her, his eyes still locked with hers. Sparks were shooting through her as they became one and in that moment it was as if the world stood still. A small moan escaped her lips as their bodies found a rhythm, moving in sync. Seeing the look in Spencer's eyes her heart skipped a beat, a feeling of love she had never felt before rushing through her.

Spencer felt his head spin and every inch of his skin was on fire when he slowly started moving inside of her. His heart was beating fast and he was overcome with love. He knew in this moment, right here, was where he belonged, what he had been missing all his life without even realizing it. Finding Annie's mouth again he cupped her cheek as their bodies continued their gentle rhythm, Annie's hips rocking against his.

Soon their movements became faster and when he felt Annie arch her back he opened his eyes and saw her throw her head back. Seeing and feeling her near her release pushed him over the edge and he felt like he had truly come home as their lips found each other again...

* * *

**Okay guys, pleeeeeaaaaase review and tell me what you think! I think this was the hardest chapter for me as I've never written anything like it. I wanted it to be hot and steamy but romantic and tasteful at the same time and I hope I did a halfway decent job... **

_**An important note: I decided to not have them use a condom, it's a story after all and they're both safe and in a relationship. But remember, always practise safe sex! :-)**_

**Next chapter will be up soon!**


	34. Chapter 34

**Hi best readers in the world!**

**First of all, THANK YOU SO MUCH for your great reviews on my last chapter! It really means a lot to me! You guys are all amazing! And because you are all so lovely I couldn't resist and give you another chapter today even though work was busy and when I got home I couldn't resist and watch some Criminal Minds. I am seriously addicted...**

**So enjoy and give me more of those awesome reviews, they keep me going! **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 34**

Spencer knew he had never been happier than in this moment, right now. Annie's head was on his bare chest, her naked body pressed against him in a perfect fit, one of her legs entwined with his and her arm around his waist. He could feel her breath on his skin as he kissed her head, gently stroking her back. It was now dark outside and the moonlight bathed her body in a faint glow. He never wanted this moment to end. Feeling her stir he tilted his head to look at her and felt his stomach give a little twist when she smiled at him and planted a kiss on his lips.

Annie's heartbeat was slowing down as she squeezed herself against Spencer, savoring the touch of his warm skin against hers. She had never, ever in her life felt so connected to a man. And not only that, from the way he had touched and made love to her she would never have guessed that he didn't have much experience... Slightly raising her upper body she brushed her thumb across his lips.

"Wow... that was... just... wow" she breathed out and Spencer felt his heart swell with pride.

Of course it had been amazing and he had felt the love and passion between them but a part of him had been worried that he wouldn't be good enough, wouldn't be able to give her what she deserved.. Smiling back at her he stroked her cheek.

"I know... You know I love you right?" he asked.

Nodding her head Annie grinned. "And I love you." she replied and nuzzled his neck. Letting out a little giggle she continued. "But you know what? I'm starving... You really wore me out Doctor. Could we order pizza?"

Spencer laughed as he sat up. "Sounds like a good idea, I'm feeling kind of hungry too."

* * *

An hour later, they were sitting on Spencer's couch, an episode of Star Trek on TV. Taking one last bite of her pizza Annie leaned back. As she looked at Spence, she chuckled.

"What?" he asked, his eyebrows raised.

"You got sauce on your face." she giggled as she leaned in and gently kissed the corner of his mouth, her tongue licking away the patch of red.

Spencer laughed. He couldn't get the grin out of his face and his heart was practically bursting with happiness. He would never have thought he would be so comfortable with a girl, let alone even find a girl this amazing.

"So, you have to work tomorrow right?" Annie asked.

"Um, yeah, but only to finish some paperwork, I'll probably be done by lunchtime and can take the rest of the day off since our last case took so long."

"Well, I'm gonna be at the cafe all day but if you want we can have lunch together and you're welcome to spend the afternoon there if you want to. Bring some books." she grinned.

"Sounds good, as long as I'm near you." he smiled. "So, what do you want to do now? Watch some more Star Trek?"

Putting the pizza box away Annie swung her leg over his lap, straddling him. Cupping his cheeks she kissed his nose.

"Now, you gorgeous man, I'm gonna take a shower. My hair is all brittle from the pool water."

As she stood up and walked towards the bathroom Spencer looked after her, thinking how incredibly sexy she looked in his button down shirt she had thrown on. His eyes traveled over her body and just the thought that she was wearing nothing beneath it drove his imagination wild. He teared his gaze from her slightly tanned legs when she stopped in the door frame of the bathroom and turned around.

"What are you waiting for Spence? You're not gonna join me?" she winked at him and laughed when he bolted from the couch, almost tripping over his own feet...

* * *

Walking into the elevator at work the next day Spencer still couldn't wipe that grin off his face. Annie had just dropped him off after they had had breakfast together in his apartment. Thinking about last night he was amazed he wasn't more tired. They had spent the night talking, clowning around, making love, only falling asleep way after midnight.

Stepping into the bullpen he was greeted by a smirking Morgan.

"Wohoo pretty boy! That smile can only mean one thing!"

Shooting him a warning look Spencer opened his mouth but was interrupted by Garcia walking up to them.

"True dat hot stuff! Someone's gotten some loooovin." she laughed.

Blushing, Spencer looked to the floor and tried to look mad but the corners of his mouth kept twitching and he couldn't hide a smile.

"Oh shut up you two..." he stammered.

"I knew it! You two were barely able to keep your hands off each other yesterday!" Morgan exclaimed, slapping him on the shoulder. "Good for you kid!"

"Ohhh, this is just too sweet. Did you get any sleep last night?" Penelope gushed.

"None of your business." Spencer mumbled, dumping his messenger bag on his desk. "And now I'd like to get to work, I want to take the afternoon off to head over to the cafe."

"My, my, you two can't get enough of each other." Derek chuckled.

"Awww, I need more details!" Garcia chimed in just as Dave joined them.

"Details of what?" Rossi enquired.

"Seems like our little genius and Annie got it on last night." Morgan laughed.

Raising his eyebrow, Rossi looked at Spencer. "Don't let them bother you. A gentleman never tells..." he winked. "And now get to work kids, we still need to finish that paperwork on last week's case."

"Kids? I'm 37 Rossi..." Morgan protested with a laugh.

"Yeah, but acting like you're in high school from the way you were pestering Reid..." Dave replied with a smile.

Spencer gave him a thankful glance. Now that Annie was his girlfriend and after what happened last night he wasn't that bothered by Morgan's and Garcia's antics anymore but he still thought that this was a personal topic. Sitting down at his desk he tried to turn his attention to the files waiting there.

"Okay, I surrender for now, but I will investigate further! Girls talk more, you know, maybe I should give Annie a call..." Penelope declared, turning on her heels and leaving for her bat cave.

Spencer's head snapped up at her words and he shot a nervous look at Morgan.

"What... what does she mean by that? You really think she's gonna...?" he gasped.

"Relax kid. I know my baby girl and yes, she's gonna call Annie." Derek chuckled. "But I don't think your girl's one to kiss and tell."

Spencer knew Morgan was right, Annie would never reveal any intimate details but he still couldn't help but feel slightly nervous at the thought of what the two women might talk about...

* * *

"Hello?" Annie answered her phone as she stood at the coffee machine preparing a latte for one of her regulars.

"Good morning my cupcake, and oh, what a good morning it must be for you!" Penelope replied, the smile in her voice obvious.

"Morning Pen. And what is that supposed to mean, you're speaking in riddles again." Annie laughed.

"Oh, I don't know know sweetie... Just that my eyes are better than you think and I could see you in the pool yesterday and you guys left in such a hurry. And a certain Doctor just walked into the office with a huge smile on his face."

Annie smiled just at the mention of Spence. "What are you implying Pen?"

"Ah, come on honey, you know what I'm talking about! You two totally did it last night! And since I couldn't get anything out of Spencer other than a blush and that grin I thought I'd call you to get more details!" Garcia called out, slowly losing her patience.

"Penelope! This is none of your business!" Annie gasped, shaking her head and laughing. It was impossible to be mad at Penelope, even if she was this bold.

"Aww, come on sweetie, give me something! Just like... adjectives... beautiful, hot, steamy... Give me anything!" Garcia pleaded.

"You are unbelievable, you know that right?" Annie laughed, putting the coffee she had just prepared on the counter and gesturing for Holly to serve it.

"I know, that's why you love me! So, was it amazing?"

Annie couldn't stop the smile creeping up her face at the memory of last night and the butterflies that roamed in her belly. "Yes! And that's all I'm going to say..." she burst out, knowing Garcia wouldn't let her off the hook otherwise.

"I knew it!" Penelope cheered. "Okay, I won't bother you any more. So listen, Morgan, Emily and me were going to head to this new bar tonight. You guys wanna come?"

"Um, I don't know Pen, Spencer and I were planning to..." Annie started, only to be interrupted by her friend.

"Get it on again! Hahaha, I know sweetie. But you can do that afterwards." Garcia laughed. "Come on, just for a drink or two, it'll be fun. They even have a little dance floor! And ask Sarah to come too!"

"Ms. Garcia, you really are impossible!" Annie laughed. "Alright, I'll ask Spence and Sarah, it really does sound like fun. But I really gotta go now, I have customers you know. Talk to you later okay?"

"Okay cupcake! Take care!"

Hanging up the phone, Annie smiled. A night out did seem like fun, she hadn't been out dancing in ages. And she knew as long as she was with Spencer she would always enjoy herself.

* * *

**Hahaha, I couldn't resist to write some Morgan/Garcia antics, those two just crack me up. ;-)**

**Don't forget to leave lots of reviews!**


	35. Chapter 35

**Hi everyone! **

**Thanks for all the reviews! After a pretty cold week summer is finally back (the weather here has been really strange here, cold - warm - cold - warm...) but nonetheless here's a new chapter for you! It's slightly shorter than most others but hey, I needed to enjoy the sun today and I'm already working on the next one. ;-)**

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 35**

Walking into the cafe, Spencer took a look around, a smile on his face. The place was bustling with patrons but Annie was nowhere to be seen. Walking up to the coffee counter, he greeted the blonde girl behind it.

"Hi, it's Holly right? I don't think we've been properly introduced yet. I'm Spencer, Annie's... um boyfriend."

He still had to get used that he was now actually in a relationship.

"Oh, yeah hi! Annie's told me about you! She said you'd be coming over. She's in the kitchen, I'm sure she won't mind if you go in." Holly smiled back at him.

"Thanks!" he replied, turning around and making his way to the swing doors.

Walking inside a grin spread over his face at the sight of Annie. Apparently she had gone back to her place to change after dropping him off at work and was now wearing a denim skirt with a short-sleeved, white, crocheted top. Her back was turned to him and when she bent down and opened the oven his heart skipped a beat as her skirt slightly rode up. The smell of herbs and red wine filled the room and made him realize how hungry he was. Walking up to her he cleared his throat, not wanting to startle her. When she turned around the concentrated look on her face turned into the smile she loved so much.

"Spence!" she called out, taking the few steps towards him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

Pulling her closer, Spencer gently kissed her. "Hey. How are you? What's in there?" he asked with a nod towards the stove.

"I'm great now that you're here! And this is pollo alla cacciatora!" she smiled and when she saw his confused look she laughed. "I take it my favourite genius doesn't speak Italian? It's Hunters Chicken Stew, basically chicken with a sauce made from tomatoes, red wine, olives and some herbs. Hungry?"

Nodding eagerly, he gave her another kiss before leaning on the kitchen counter. "Sounds delicious. But so far everything you've made tasted amazing."

"Thanks Spence. Um, I'm probably not gonna be able to take a break for another hour, it's Josh's day off so I'm alone in here. But if you manage to find a table, I'll be out in five with your food."

"No, it's fine, I'd rather wait until your break and eat with you."

"Alright." Annie smiled as Holly walked in an placed some slips of paper with more orders from the table. Briefly looking at them she proceeded to prepare the dishes.

"So, Garcia called me earlier." she continued.

"Yeah, I know..." Spencer sighed. "Did she, um..."

"Oh yes, she practically interrogated me about last night." Annie chuckled. "But don't worry Spence, the only thing she managed to get out of me was that it was amazing."

Glancing up, she saw Spencer's relieved look. A slight blush was coloring his cheeks. She loved that he wasn't the kind of guy to brag about his conquests. And of course she sometimes talked about her sex life with Sarah, but she was her best friend and they never went into too many details. As she continued to prepare some plates for Holly to serve she continued:

"So, Penelope asked if we wanted to go to this new bar tonight? I called Sarah and she'd be up for it. We haven't been out in ages, especially not dancing."

"Um, yes, alright, we could do that." Spencer replied. He wasn't usually one for going out. But then again, this time Morgan wouldn't be trying to hook him up all night, would he? Thinking about it, he was actually looking forward to it. Smiling to himself his thoughts were interrupted by Annie.

"Only if you really want to Spence, we could also stay home." she asked.

"No, I'm looking forward to it. Although it will be a new experience to be the one with the prettiest girl in the bar on his arm." he grinned.

Walking up to him she gave him a quick kiss and smiled. "And I'll be the accompanied by the most handsome man!"

* * *

Looking at Spencer sitting on the corner table they had lunch at Annie smiled when he turned yet another page. It amazed her how fast he could read. Taking the two cups of coffee she had prepared, she walked over and sat down next to him.

"What are you reading?" she asked, kissing his forehead.

Closing his book Spencer showed her the cover. "Ulysses by James Joyce" he smiled. "

"Wow, I've never read that. I mean, I love to read and usually the longer the book the better but this... this is something else."

"It's not that long." he replied.

"Well, it's not if you can read 20.000 words per minute." she grinned.

"You should give it a try, I'm sure you'll like it. And if you get tired while reading I can just recite it to you." he smiled. "That eidetic memory has to be good for something outside of work."

"Mhmm, I like that idea, listening to that sexy voice of yours..." Annie murmured as she snuggled up to him.

Spencer blushed slightly. "Sexy voice?"

"Oh yes, you have no idea..." Annie giggled. "Ok, I hate to leave you but I gotta get back to work... Love you." she smiled as she stood up and planted a kiss on his lips.

* * *

A couple of hours later they were back in Annie's apartment. As the afternoon had progressed, Spencer had read some more, with Annie taking little breaks in between work to chat with him. He actually hadn't been able to do that much reading as he found it hard to tear his eyes off her as she bustled around the cafe, charming everyone with her smile and personality.

Now he was sitting on Annie's couch and looked at his watch again. They were supposed to meet the others at 8 and it was already 7.50. They were never going to make it in time...

After taking a quick shower, Annie stood in front of her closet. She was slowly becoming frustrated. She had tried on several outfits already but today she just couldn't decide what to wear. Looking down at herself she still wasn't sure about the knee-length red skirt she was wearing, all the tops she had tried on with it were to formal for a night out... Giving a deep sigh she turned around when she heard Spencer enter the bedroom.

"You're still not ready?"

Rolling her eyes at him she chuckled. "You really have a lot to learn about women Spence... I just don't like anything I've tried on so far..."

"But, if it's in your closet you obviously bought it because you like it, right?"

"That doesn't mean I like it right now..."

"But why? You'll look beautiful whatever you wear." he insisted.

"That's sweet Spence." she smiled. "But I still can't decide..."

Spencer shook his head in confusion. He really didn't understand what the problem was. But he guessed this was just one of the many new things he had to get used to now that he was in a relationship.

Pulling another dress out of her closet and putting it on the bed, Annie quickly took off her top and unzipped her skirt. "Alright, I'll just wear this."

Spencer's heart skipped a beat when Annie stood in front of him in a pair of bright-pink hipster panties with a matching bra. Suddenly he didn't care that they were late. Walking up to her he slid his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck.

"Well, we don't have to go at all if you really can't decide..." he whispered, his hand gently stroking her hip.

Feeling Spencer's arms wrapped around her she she shivered at his touch and let her head fall back, resting against him as he nibbled on her ear. As he felt his hand brush against the waistline of her panties, she closed her eyes.

"Spence... we're supposed to go to the bar..." was all she could breath out as his other hand slowly traveled over her belly up to her bra.

"I know... but..." Spencer began when he was interrupted by Annie's lips crushing onto his as she turned around, pushing him towards the bed...

* * *

**Awwww, I couldn't resist the fluff. :D Btw, if you guys want another really steamy chapter just let me know. ;-)**


	36. Chapter 36

**Hi everyone!**

**Again, thanks for all your reviews! You are amazing! I can't believe 100 people have favourited this story, I am honored beyond words! **

**So here's another chapter for you all! Have a great Sunday!**

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 36**

Walking into the bar next to Spencer, Annie couldn't suppress a giggle as she squeezed his hand. It was already past 9, they were definitely more than fashionably late...

"You do know Morgan and Garcia are gonna have a field day with this?" she winked.

Giving her a huge grin, Spencer stopped and pulled her into his arms.

"You know what? I don't even care!"

And it was true, he didn't. He was happier than he had ever been and just thinking back to what had happened at Annie's apartment he had to fight the urge to turn around and get back to her place...

Continuing their way through the crowded bar, Annie suddenly felt someone grab her arm. Slightly alarmed she turned around but relaxed when she saw Sarah.

"There you are! Where the hell have you been? We were supposed to meet over an hour ago!" she exclaimed, giving Annie a quick hug and waving at Spencer.

The corner's of Annie's mouth twitched as she squinted at Spencer. "Um, we were just... um..." she began and was interrupted by Sarah's loud laugh.

"Ha, so Morgan and Garcia were right!" she called out, shaking her head. "You lucky girl... But come on, the others are over there. And we need to go dancing, you might have found your perfect match but I'm in desperate need for some action." she laughed.

A couple of minutes later they were joining the others at their table near the dancefloor.

"Oh, look who's finally here!" Garcia exclaimed, giving Annie a hug and winking at Spencer over the other woman's shoulder.

"You two were right by the way, those two took a little detour through the bedroom..." Sarah chuckled, earning a slap on the arm from Annie.

"Would you please stop it already?" Annie laughed, sitting down next to Penelope. "What are you drinking?" she asked, determined to change the topic.

"Well, white wine but we were thinking to maybe go for something stronger this round?" Emily joined in. "Maybe Cosmopolitans?"

Annie nodded her head along with Garcia. "I'm always up for a Cosmo." she smiled.

Standing up, Morgan patted Spencer on the shoulder. "Alright. Four drinks for the lovely ladies coming right up. Come on Spence."

Bending down, Spencer placed a gentle kiss on Annie's lips. "I'll be right back." he grinned before he joined Morgan at the bar.

As Spencer walked away Annie couldn't wipe the smile off her face and her eyes took on a dreamy look as she watched him approach the bar. Her heart gave a little flutter when he looked over his shoulder and smiled at her. She felt giddy with happiness when she reminded herself that this gorgeous man was really her boyfriend.

"Oh god, you guys are so lovey-dovey... if it wasn't so adorable and it wasn't you sweetie, I'd be green with envy." Sarah laughed when she caught the looks Annie and Spencer giving each other.

Snapping out of her trance, Annie chuckled. "I just can't help it. He's just so amazing... I mean, just look at him.."

"Well, I don't see it. He'll always be like a little brother to me." Emily laughed. "But I'm happy for you guys, you're perfect for each other."

* * *

"Ohh, look at that guy, he's hot, right?" Sarah giggled, pointing to a tall, dark-haired man on the dancefloor.

"Yeah, but a little too pumped for my taste..." Emily replied with a laugh.

"No, look at how is biceps is flexing." Garcia cooed and with a glance at Morgan added. "Nothing compared to you of course my hot stuff."

Sipping on his second glass of scotch, his arm around Annie's waist Spencer raised his eyebrows at Derek, causing his friend to laugh.  
The girls had apparently made it their mission of the night to find a man for Sarah and the giggling and laughing had become worse with every round of cocktails, they were currently on their third.

"Yeah, Emily's right, he's way too beefy." Annie agreed. "Besides, I've already found my perfect man." she smiled at Spencer, her voice slightly slurred as she shifted her body towards him.

Spencer gave a little laugh as he felt her body press against him. She was obviously becoming a bit tipsy and for some reason he found it incredibly cute.

"Yeah, yeah, we know." Sarah rolled her eyes at her best friend. Standing up, she held out her hand. "But, I haven't! So we're going dancing so I can check him out up close!" she winked.

Laughing, Annie held up her hands. "Alright, alright." Turning to Spence, she gave him a quick kiss. "You're gonna come too?" she asked.

"Um, no, I don't dance." he laughed. "But you go along."

Shrugging her shoulders, she leaned in and whispered in his ear. "Alright, but you don't know what you're missing..." And with a wink she stood up, joining the other three women on the dancefloor.

* * *

Sitting down again next to Morgan, Spencer placed the beer he just bought in front of his friend and took a sip of his drink when he heard Derek address him.

"That Sarah sure is something else." he chuckled, nodding towards Annie's best friend who was already heavily flirting with the guy she had eyed earlier.

Looking over at Sarah, Spencer had to agree. The four of them had left for the dancefloor only 10 minutes ago and she had instantly made her move.

And then his eyes shifted over to Annie who was dancing next to Garcia while Emily had struck up a conversation with a handsome man in his early forties. And he felt his heart skip a beat. She looked breathtakingly beautiful in the simple, short strapless black dress with a red belt under her bust. Her shoulder-length hair framed her smiling face and when his eyes traveled further down her body, the movement of her hips to the beat actually made his mouth water. She wore red 4-inch heels tonight and he noticed how they influenced her whole posture. His face crumpled into a frown when he suddenly saw a blonde, young man approach her, lowering his head and leaning down to say something into her ear, his hand almost touching her waist. Spencer's body tensed when he saw Annie smile at the man and he felt the familiar insecurities return that had been a part of his life ever since he could remember.

"Man, relax, she's clearly not interested." he heard Morgan say beside him and only then noticed the force with which he was gripping his glass, his knuckles turning white. Seeing Annie shake her head and turn her back to the admirer, he slightly relaxed when she continued to dance with Garcia, visibly ignoring the guy.

"Jesus Reid, what do you expect? She's a pretty girl, and she got some pretty hot moves going on." Morgan chuckled. "Of course guys are going to approach her. But she's yours man, you should know that."

Spencer immediately felt guilty. He knew Annie loved him and logic told him there was nothing to worry about. But he couldn't help those feelings. Turning to Morgan, he sighed.

"I know Morgan. But look at her... How did someone like me end up with a girl like her? Sometimes I think any moment I'll wake up and realize this has all been a dream."

Shaking his head, Morgan leaned forward. "Reid, you're selling yourself short here. You have more to offer than you think and she obviously loves you with all her heart, everyone can see that. Hell, even I wish I'd finally find someone to look at me the way she looks at you. This is not a dream man, this is real. And if there's anyone to deserve this it's you." And with a chuckle he added: "And if you don't want other men to try their luck you should have gone dancing with her."

"Morgan, you know I can't dance...I'm only going to embarrass myself..."

"No you won't. See, they're playing a slow song now. I agree you're not the "shake your ass" type of guy but sure you can manage that?" Derek winked. "I'll come with you, I can't have my baby girl dance all by herself."

Looking up at Morgan who was already making his way towards the dance floor, Spencer gave himself a push. Morgan was right, he needed to let loose a bit and be the boyfriend Annie deserved. Grabbing his glass he downed his glass of scotch, the liquid slightly burning in his throat and warming his stomach. Standing up, he walked over to dance with his girlfriend...

* * *

Seeing Spencer walk towards her Annie's face lit up and she gave a little squeal.

"Spence!" she greeted him when he reached her. "So you're gonna dance with me?"

Looking down at the floor he was still nervous. "Um, yeah. I mean, apparently every other man in the place wants to so..." he replied as she wrapped his arms around his neck.

"You mean that guy just now?" she asked, noticing he still hadn't managed to shake his insecurities. "Told him I'm taken." she smiled, slowly starting to move to the slow rhythm of the music. "Did you really think I'd dance with him?"

Spencer started to slightly panic, he knew what she had gone through with her ex and didn't want to give the impression of being overprotective.

"No!" he exclaimed, his body slightly moving in sync with hers. "It's just... I don't know...this is all new to me... And you're so... And I'm..."

Pressing herself closer against him, Annie gently stroked the back of his head.

"Spence." she started, a determined look on her face. Looking deep into his eyes she continued. "I love you. And only you. You are the best thing that ever happened to me and there is not and never will be anyone else."

Spencer swallowed hard, he was sure his heart would burst out of his chest any moment. Gazing at Annie's face he saw in her eyes she was speaking truth.

Annie watched Spencer's eyes flicker over her, his hands around her waist tightening their grip. They had both stopped dancing and she opened her mouth to say more when suddenly she felt his lips crush down on hers with a fierceness he had never displayed before. His right hand was now grabbing the back of her head as she felt his tongue dart into her mouth. A wave of heat rushed through her at the pressure of his other hand on her lower back, his fingers digging into the flesh of her curves. Tightening the grip on his neck, her fingernails scraped his skin as she let out a small moan. She could feel all the love and desire they shared run through her.

Spencer felt his knees go weak when he felt Annie's nails dig into his skin, her hot breath on his lips as a moan escaped her lips. The words he just heard her say had touched something deep inside of him and his instincts had taken over. He wanted, needed to show her that he felt the same way.

As she pulled away from him, they were both panting when they heard a voice behind them.

"Ahem." Morgan cleared his throat and they both spun around. Behind him were Emily and García, staring at them, their eyes wide and mouths open.

Annie felt a giggle rise in her throat and grinned at Spencer.

"As much as I hate to interrupt this, ahem, quite public display of affection." Derek winked before his face turned serious. "But we have a case guys, Hotch just called me." he continued, holding up the phone in his hand.

"What? Now?" Spencer almost squeaked, blushing at the sound of his own voice.

"Sorry kid, missing child in Nevada. We gotta leave right now..."

* * *

**Awwww some more steaminess! ;-) Sorry I had to cut it short, bUt I promise you'll get more of it!**

**Don't forget to leave a review, even of you've been following this story silently till now! I'm always curious to hear what you think! ;-)**


	37. Chapter 37

**Hi everyone! **

**Thank you all so much for your great reviews, I'm so happy you all still follow my story! So here's another chapter for you which I already started yesterday. It's slightly shorter than usual but the weather has picked up again and I'm going over to a friends house to enjoy her pool. One of the advantages of working part-time and freelance. :D **

**Love you all! **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

Chapter 37

Slamming her hand on the old-fashioned alarm she had inherited from her grandmother, Annie let out a low groan. 4 hours of sleep were definitely not enough, she thought as she rubbed her eyes. Especially not after spending the night drinking. When Spencer and his teammates had to leave last night, she had offered Sarah to stay a little longer as she didn't want to interrupt her flirtation with the dark-haired guy. But her best friend had actually been relieved, the guy had apparently turned out to be rather dull and Sarah had been happy to find an excuse to leave. After Spencer had been all gentleman and stopped a cab for them they hadn't really been in the mood to end the night there and decided to go back to Annie's place for some girls time and a glass of wine. And that one glass had turned into two bottles...

Groaning again, she forced herself to get up and swung her legs out of bed. She didn't feel that bad considering the amount of alcohol she had drunk last night but she could definitely detect a slight headache. Grabbing her phone she smiled as she read the text from Spence again he had sent her last night after arriving in Nevada after she had messaged them that they got home safely. Walking into her living room she grinned when she saw Sarah on her couch. Her friend had finished the better half of the second bottle of wine and was still fast asleep. Walking up to her she gently shook her arm.

"Hey sweetie, wakey, wakey."

Stirring, Sarah opened her eyes, squinting as the sunlight hit her. "Ahhh, my head..." she groaned.

Laughing, Annie stroked her hair. "That's what you get for getting drunk on my couch. Want a painkiller?"

Briefly nodding her head, Sarah immediately stopped, grimacing in pain. "Please... And I need food. Proper hangover food." she said as she slowly sat up.

"Pancakes? You can take a shower in the meantime, remember you have to be at work in 45 minutes, there are 30 preschool kids waiting for you." Annie chuckled as she walked into the bathroom to retrieve the painkillers.

"Don't remind me." her friend groaned again. "And yes to the pancakes, with lots and lots of maple syrup!"

* * *

Stepping out of the shower an hour later, Annie felt a thousand times better. After breakfast she had called Josh to make sure he could cover the morning shift alone since she would be arriving a little late. Sarah had felt a lot better after her shower and a hearty breakfast and had hurried off to work.

Annie had just brushed her hair and put on some make up when her phone rang.

"Good morning my love." she answered with a smile when she saw the caller ID.

"Good morning." he replied, his voice tired. "How are you?"

"Slightly hungover but not as bad as Sarah. We had some more drinks when we came back..." she replied.

"Well then a hangover was inevitable. The body has to metabolize the active ingredient in alcoholic beverages: ethanol. This process requires cellular energy, distracting the body from normal activities like making glucose for the brain. Additionally, ethanol is a diuretic and can lead to dehydration, causing headaches. So you should make sure to take in lots of fluids. Some studies also suggest that consumption of foods such as eggs, which contain cysteine can help a hangover."

Annie smiled when she heard him ramble on, it was just too cute. "Well, I've had pancakes, which contain eggs and drank a large bottle of water, so I guess I should be fine." she smiled. "How about you? Where exactly are you by the way? Any progress on the case? I mean, you don't have to tell me, are you even allowed to talk about it?"

"Yeah I guess I can. We're in Boulder City just outside of Vegas. And no, no progress yet. A 5-year old girl vanished from her bedroom last night. The parents only noticed because they checked up on her before going to bed. So far we don't have any leads, but we've set up caller tracking in case there's a ransom demand, the family is quite wealthy so..."

"Oh Spence, this is awful." Annie gasped. She still had to get used to the things he dealt with on the job. "I hope you find her..."

"Yeah, me too. But I don't want you to worry about it okay?Listen, I'm sorry, but I have to go. I'll call you later alright?"

"Of course Spence. Say hi to the team. I love you! And be safe..."

"I will. I love you too."

As Annie hung up the phone she couldn't help but think about the little girl that was missing and hoped she would come out of this alright. She had always felt for the families when she heard stories like that on the news but ever since the thing with Marcus she had a personal insight into what it really meant to be a victim. From Spencer's story about his abduction she guessed he felt the same way, and still he was working this job, helping people. And they were both adults, this was a little girl who probably didn't understand what was going on. Shaking her head she realized she tried to think positive and decided she would make sure to take Spence's mind off the case when he got back.

* * *

Hanging up the phone Spencer stuffed it back in his pocket, a smile on his face. Now he finally understood what everyone had meant when they had told him that having someone to come home to made this job so much easier. Annie always managed to lift his spirits, reminding him that the world was not all bad. Walking back into the kitchen of the little girl's home he saw JJ look up at him.

"Everything alright with Annie?" she asked, smiling.

"Yeah, she's a bit hungover but alright. She and Sarah had a couple of more drinks when they got home." he chuckled.

"Oh tell me about it, I know exactly how these girl's nights can turn out..." JJ laughed. "I really like your girl Spence, most of all how happy she makes you. You've changed since you met her, but for the better. You're more relaxed, more confident, you've really grown up."

Spencer blushed at the compliment. "Um, thanks I guess."

JJ laughed again when she saw his cheeks redden. "But I guess some things will never change. So, let's get back on the case..."

* * *

It took the team 4 days to solve the case. The kidnapper had been a woman who had lost her own child and had wanted to create a new family. The little girl had, thank god, be relatively unharmed and would hopefully soon recover from the experience.

As the team gathered their things Spencer took out his phone. There was something he had thought about for the past couple of days and he wanted to let Annie know.

"Spence! Please tell me you have good news this time!" she answered.

"I do. We found her and she's gonna be alright." he replied with a smile. They had talked every day at least for a cuple of minutes and she had been worried about the girl. And of course she missed him, as much as he missed her. He was looking forward to finally hold her in his arms again. he took a deep breath, nervous about what Annie's answer would be to what he had to say.

"Um, so, since I'm already here I thought it might me a good idea to visit my mom, I haven't seen her in some time and..." he started and was interrupted by Annie.

"Of course you should, I'm sure she'll be happy to see you!" she agreed. "I miss you but I think I can wait for another day or two." she giggled.

"No Annie, that's not what I meant. I, um... I thought it might be possible for you to take two days off work and fly out here? I'd... I'd thought maybe you'd like to meet here? She's been asking about you in her letters." he rambled. He had been thinking about this ever since they arrived in Nevada and knew his mother would be delighted to finally meet the girl she had heard so much about. But of course it was Annie's decision, he didn't want to push her. He only realized he had been holding his breath when he heard Annie's voice again.

"I'd love to Spence!" she replied, the smile in her voice audible. "I'll try to get the first flight in the morning, alright? So you'll be staying with her? If you text me where her facility is I'll get a hotel room nearby."

Spencer felt relief wash over him. "No, it's fine, I'll take care of it, you just book a one-way ticket and we'll try to get on a flight together on the way back."

Saying goodbye, he hung up and stuffed his phone back in his pocket. His heart burst with happiness when he thought about seeing Annie tomorrow. He just hoped his mom would have one of her good days, and most importantly, welcome the woman he loved into their family.

* * *

**Yay! I guess after Spence already met Annie's parents it was time for her to meet his mom. **

**Don't forget to leave a review!**


	38. Chapter 38

**Hi everyone! **

**Thanks for all your reviews, they never fail to make my day! Here's another chapter for you! Pardon any typos as I wrote half of this chapter on my phone in a sudden burst of inspiration. ;-)**

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 38**

Walking into the arrivals hall at Las Vegas International Airport, Spencer looked at his watch again. It was 10.23 am and Annie's flight had just landed. The rest of the team had left last night and he had paid a visit to his mother as he knew it wasn't a good idea to show up with his girlfriend unannounced. She had been quite lucid yesterday and had told him she looked forward to meeting Annie. He had spent the night on the couch in her room and Diana had insisted to read a book to him, just as she had always done when he was still a child.

Standing at the arrivals gate his heart skipped a beat every time the sliding doors opened and another passenger came out. He had never thought he could miss anyone as much as he missed her. Glancing at his watch again he rearranged the collar of his cardigan, trying to stop his hands from fidgeting.

* * *

As she walked among the throng of other passengers, dragging her on-board suitcase behind her, Annie felt her stomach do a little flip as she neared the exit. In just a few moments she would see Spence gain. She couldn't wait to feel his arms around her and bury her face in that nook of his shoulder she loved so much. She hadn't slept a lot last night, partly because she missed his warm body next to her, but also because she was kind of nervous about meeting his mother. She knew how special their bond was and hoped Mrs. Reid would like her.

Finally she reached the exit and looked up, her eyes searching. Her heart skipped a beat and a smile spread across her face when she caught sight of Spence. Her feet automatically fastened their pace and she finally reached him and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest. As she looked up at him, his arms still tightly wrapped around her she placed a gentle kiss on his smiling lips.

"Hey there... " she whispered.

"Hey..." he replied in an equally low voice, lowering his head and cupping her cheek to capture her mouth in another kiss. "I've missed you."

"Not as much as I've missed you." Annie smiled up at him, pushing a stray strand of hair out of his face.

Pulling away from each other, Spencer took the handle of her suitcase from her, his other hand firmly holding her hand as they slowly walked towards the elevators leading to the parking garage.

"Is the rest of the team still here?" Annie asked as they waited for the elevator.

"No, they left last night." he said, shaking his head. "I have to be back at the office on Monday so I was thinking we should get a flight back Sunday night if that's alright with you."

"Sure." Annie nodded and grinned up at him. "So that means we have the whole weekend?"

"I believe we do." he smiled back and couldn't resist to kiss her again. "Is it alright with you if we go straight to my mom? I told her we could have lunch with her."

"Sure..." she replied, slightly hesitating. "You think this outfit is okay or should I change first? I wasn't sure what to wear and..." she broke off, biting her lip and gesturing looking down at the simple dress she was wearing.

Spencer smiled. She apparently had no idea how stunning she looked in the light yellow, lace-embroidered dress and white cardigan, her hair tied into a ponytail. "You look beautiful. You always do." he replied, squeezing her hand.

* * *

Walking up to the mental facility his mother was staying at, Spencer could feel that Annie's hands were clammy and looking at her he saw her biting her lip and taking a deep breath.

Suddenly stopping, he turned to face her. "Are you alright? If you don't want to do this I understand... Most people have inhibitions when it comes to dealing with mentally ill people and if you're not comfortable.." he started.

Her eyes wide, Annie interrupted him. "No! It's not that Spence! It's just that... I'm nervous. I know how important your mom is to you and I really want her to like me..." she replied, biting her lip again.

Spencer couldn't help but smile at the habit, he had noticed she always did that when she was nervous. Planting a kiss on her lips he took both her hands in his.

"Annie, I know she'll love you. How could she not love the woman who makes her son happier than he's ever been?" he asked and was relieved when her tense expression turned into a grin.

"Alright. So let's do this." she smiled, giving him another kiss.

* * *

After they had passed through security they were on their way to the common room when they were greeted by a middle aged man.

"Dr. Reid! Your mother told me you'd be visiting her again today. And I see you've brought company." he said with a smile at Annie.

She replied the smile when Spence introduced them. "Hi Dr. Norman, good to see you again. This is my girlfriend, Annie Barker. Annie, this is my mom's psychiatrist Dr. Norman."

"Nice to meet you Ms. Barker." the older man replied, shaking Annie's hand before he turned back to Spencer. "Your mom's doing very well today and she's proudly telling everyone that "Spencer's gonna bring his girl today" as she put it."

"Nice to meet you too." Annie smiled, noticing Spencer's blush at the Doctor's words.

"Um, alright so we don't want to keep you Dr. I'll talk to you later so you can update me?" Spencer asked.

"Sure, I'll be in my office, just drop by whenever you want." Dr. Norman replied with a nod at them both.

Walking along the long corridor they soon reached their destination and entered a pleasantly furnished room. As Spencer's eyes searched the room Annie followed his gaze until it came to rest on a short-haired, blonde woman in an armchair by the window. She was deeply engrossed in a book, her left hand following the lines of text. Annie had to smile, she could definitely see the resemblance between mother and son.

Spencer squeezed Annie's hand again as they walked up to his mother.

"Mom?"

Diana Reid looked up from her book, her expression startled until she caught sight of her son.

"Spencer!" she exclaimed as she lay her book down on the small table next to her and stood up, embracing him in a hug. Pulling back, her gaze traveled to Annie, who was smiling nervously.

"So this is your girl?" she asked with a questioning smile at Spencer, who nodded.

"Yes Mom, this is my girlfriend, Annie."

Annie smiled at the older woman and extended her hand, her heart beating slightly faster from nervousness. "Hello Mrs. Reid, it's so nice to meet you!"

Spencer realized that he was holding his breath as he watched the two most important women in his life shale hands and was relieved when he saw his mother's expression turn into a genuine smile.

"It's lovely to meet you too Annie, and please call me Diana." his mother replied, gesturing for them to sit down.

"How are you today Mom?" Spencer asked as he took a seat next to Annie.

"I'm fine Spencer..." Diana replied with a wave of her hand. "He's always worrying about me... When it's me who should be worried, considering what he does." she smiled at Annie.

"Mom..." Spencer interrupted, blushing.

"I know, I know..." Diana continued and looked at Annie again. "Spencer told me you were pretty and he didn't lie."

"Um, thanks Mrs. Reid..." This time it was Annie who was blushing.

"It's Diana." Spencer's mother smiled again. "So my son tells me you have your own restaurant?"

Annie smiled. "Well, it's more of a cafe. We offer breakfast, coffee and cakes throughout the day and a couple of dishes for lunch."

Diana nodded appreciatively. "That sounds nice. It's good my boy found a girl who can cook, he's always so skinny"

"Don't worry Diana, I'll make sure he eats well." Annie laughed, glancing over to Spencer who was rolling his eyes.

* * *

Before they knew it, three hours had past and Annie had thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Spencer's mom. Yes, she was acting a little strange in some moments but she was also highly intelligent and Annie enjoyed talking to her. They had had lunch and then some coffee and cake, which wasn't half as good as the one's Annie made as Spencer assured his mother.

"So are you going to show Annie your hometown this afternoon?" Diana asked, leaning back in her chair.

"I didn't plan anything definite mom, we could always just stay here, maybe you'd like to play some chess?"

"Yes." Annie agreed. "I brought a book so I could catch up on my reading while you play."

"Nonsense!" Diana shook her head. You can come visit me again tomorrow! Spencer, you should take your girl out!"

"Only if you're sure mom..." he replied, as always feeling guilty for not visiting often.

"Of course I'm sure." Diana insisted.

"Alright. You want to go and see Vegas?" he asked, smiling at Annie.

"I'd love to!" she beamed back at him, both not noticing the smile with which Diana watched them both.

"Ok. There's Dr. Norman, I wanted to talk to him before we leave." Spencer said as he caught sight of his mother's psychiatrist entering the room and talking to a nurse at the other end of the room. "You want to wait here?" he asked, glancing at Annie.

"Sure she she will." his mother answered for Annie. "You go along, we'll be fine."

As soon as Spencer was gone, Diana leaned in. "I really like you Annie, you're a lovely girl. And I can see how good you are for my Spencer. You truly love him. And he loves you. A mother feels those things..." she smiled.

"Thanks Diana. Your son is an amazing man. And I do love him, I really do..." Annie replied, gazing at Spencer, a smile gracing her lips.

* * *

**Don't forget to leave a review! Can't wait to hear what you think!**


	39. Chapter 39

**Hi my lovely readers! **

**I'm back, and with a new chapter of course! Thank you all soooo much for your great reviews! Can't believe this stoy already had 250 of them! I am truly grateful and honored! **

**So enjoy! ;-)**

**xoxo **

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 39**

As they reached the car Spencer had rented for the time they would spend in his hometown, he turned to face Annie, embracing her in a hug.

"See, I told you, my mom would love you! She told me so when she gave me a hug before we left." he smiled at her, happy the two women had gotten along so well.

"And I really like your mom." Annie replied, planting a small kiss on his lips. "So Doctor, what places are you gonna show me? Can we go to a casino?"

Spencer chuckled at her enthusiasm. "I thought I could show you where I grew up, there's this park I always used to go to play chess. And we could go to the Museum of Natural History, I spent hours there when I was a child..." he asked, not sure if Annie would be interested in these things. "And we could go out on the strip tonight, it's much nicer when it's dark with all the lights. There are some casino's where I'm not banned so we could go into one."

"You're banned in casinos?" Annie gasped. "What did you do?"

"Well, it's because of my card counting abillities, they're not really fond of people winning all the time..." he grinned.

Annie let out a laugh. "You naughty boy... But yes, I'd like to see all the places from your childhood." Pausing, she suddenly remembered she hadn't booked a hotel.

"But Spence. Where are we staying?"

Spencer had to smile at the thought of what he actually had planned for tonight. Cupping her face he surprised her with a kiss. "That, my sunshine, is a surprise!" he winked.

"Sunshine? You do realize that's the first time you called me anything other than Annie." she smiled. "But I like it."

* * *

As they walked through the geology exhibit at the museum Annie listened in fascination as they were standing in front of a glass display containing diamonds and other gemstones.

"... and the word diamond actually derives from the greek word for unbreakable, adámas. Most natural diamonds are formed at high temperature and pressure at depths of 87 to 120 miles in the Earth's mantle_. _Carbon-containing minerals provide the carbon source, and the growth occurs over periods from 1 billion to 3.3 billion years. Approximately 130,000,000 carats (26,000 kg) of diamonds are mined annually, with a total value of nearly US$9 billion, with roughly 49% of originating from Central and Southern Africa, although significant sources of the mineral have been discovered in Canada, India, Russia, Brazil, and Australia..." Spencer was telling her when he suddenly stopped and looked at her.

"I'm boring you..." he whispered, seeing the expression on Annie's face.

Looking up at him, she shook her head. "No Spence, you're not! I'm just always amazed how much information you got stored in that brain of yours." she smiled.

"Well, I remember everything I read. People usually get annoyed by my rambling pretty quickly..."

"Not me." she smiled, cuddling up against him. "I love listening to you. You're so passionate about the things you know. It's like having your own personal guide." she laughed.

Spencer felt his heart burst with happiness. He couldn't believe he had actually found a woman who didn't give him odd looks when he starting spitting out facts.

Glancing at his watch, he noticed it was almost evening. "It's already pretty late, do you mind if we go to the park tomorrow? Because I've made reservations and I don't want to be late..."

"Reservations?" Annie asked, and Spencer grinned when he saw the surprised look on her face. "Where are we going?"

"Still a surprise."

"Oh come on! Tell me! Pretty please?" she asked, playfully batting her eyelashes and biting her lip.

"Mhm, mhm." he shook his head. "You'll find out soon enough."

* * *

Half an hour later they were driving up the famous Las Vegas strip and Spencer smiled when he glanced over and saw Annie's eyes widen. He always forgot what an effect the thousands of lights lightening up the hotels and casinos had on first-time visitors.

"Spence!" she gasped. "This is amazing! I mean, I've seen it on TV but... wow..."

"You know, we are actually not inside Las Vegas city limits. The first hotel on the strip was built in 1941 and was open for 20 years until it burned down in a fire." he stated.

"So, can we stop at one of the large hotels and have a look inside?" Annie asked.

Spencer couldn't hide the smile that was creeping up on his face as he took a turn. "We can do more than that."

Annie sucked in her breath as they drove past the large fountains she knew from movies. "Wow, this thing is huge!" she exclaimed as they pulled up at the main entrance of the hotel and a bell boy opened her door. "Spence?" she turned to him, a questioning look on her face.

"What are you waiting for? I thought you might want to change before we have dinner." he smiled after they both got out of the car, now standing in front of the entrance. He was thoroughly enjoying this and made a mental note to thank Garcia for convincing him that he should plan something special for their first trip together.

"What do you mean...?" Annie asked, still not quite understanding.

Taking her hand, he pulled her towards the doors. "You probably want to do that in our room."

"Our room?" she asked, her voice cracking. "We're staying _here_?"

"Yep." he grinned as they entered the large lobby and Annie's eyes widened again "Something special for our first weekend away together. I have to admit, it wasn't entirely my idea, you have to thank a certain technical analyst for that."

"Spence... are you sure this isn't... too expensive?" she asked. She figured his salary at the FBI would be quite good but this good?

"I'm sure." he replied, wrapping his arms around her and placing a kiss on her lips.

"At least let me pay half of it..."

"Oh no, this is my treat!" he insisted. "And we got a discount, Rossi pulled some strings. He knows the manager."

Annie couldn't hold back the laugh escaping her throat. "Why doesn't this surprise me?"

"So you like it?"

"Like it? I love it!" she screeched.

Pulling him close her lips crashed onto his as her hands tangled in his hair. Spencer felt his heart beat faster as he felt her tongue play with his, his hands traveling down her body and coming to rest on her hips. As they pulled apart again he raised his eyebrow.

"If this is your way of thanking me I'll have to do this more often." he grinned.

"Oh, this is just a preview of my real thank you." Annie winked, leaving him speechless.

* * *

As she stepped out of the shower an hour later Annie still couldn't wipe the smile off her face. She still couldn't believe she was here, in this amazing hotel, in Las Vegas, with the man she loved. Their room was absolutely breathtaking, with a large kingsize bed and a view on the fountain. As she blow-dried her hair she chuckled when she thought back at how she practically had to force herself away from Spencer's kisses and his hands roaming over her body. But as much as she longed for his touch, she had other plans for tonight... After he had taken a quick shower she had taken her make-up bag and garment bag containing her outfit and went into the bathroom. She had been hesistant when Sarah had come over last night, one of her "seduction dresses", as she called them, in her hand. But now she was glad she had given in to her best friend's insistence that she couldn't possibly fly to Vegas without a special outfit in her suitcase. "Just in case." Sarah had said.

After carefully applying a little more make-up than she usually did and pulling her hair up in a chignon, she reached for the dress and slid it own. Looking into the full-length mirror, she bit her lip. This wasn't something she would usually wear. It was classy but very, _very_ sexy.

"Oh what the hell..." she thought. "You're in Vegas."

* * *

Adjusting his tie again, Spencer glanced in the mirror. He really had to thank Garcia. After he had told her what hotel he had booked she had gone over to his apartment with JJ and they had picked out one of his suits and sent it over via overnight express. It was a classic black one and he had chosen to wear one of the white shirts he had brought.

Hearing the bathroom door open he turned around and his mouth curled into a smile when he saw Annnie. She was wearing a black sequined dress that was just on the classy side of short. It was quite high-necked and flowed loosely down her upper body, turning tighter at the bottom. She looked absolutely breathtaking, her hair pulled up, her lips a deeper shade of red than usual. Her feet were clad in simple black 5-inch high-heels, accentuating her legs perfectly.

"Wow, you look beautiful..." he whispered.

"Wait till you see this..." she winked and his jaw dropped when she turned around.

He thought he might actually faint when he saw that the dress was backless and his gaze traveled down over her shoulderblades to her waist where the fabric created a waterfall.

"Is it too much?" Annie interrupted his thoughts and his head snapped up again.

Seeing her doubtful face he quickly walked up to her. His mouth capturing hers in a kiss his hands gently traveled down the soft skin on her back.

Shaking his head, he caught his breath again. "You look... there are no words for how you look..." he managed to get out.

Annie gave a soft chuckle. "Dr. Reid at a loss for words? That's a first."

Pulling away from him briefly she grabbed the black clutch she had brought. "Let's go?" she asked.

Spencer couldn't resist pulling her close once more. As he softly nibbled her neck, he whispered. "We could always order room service..."

"Oh no Spence. We're going out. It's Vegas for pete's sake!" she laughed, grabbing his hand and pulling him out the door...

* * *

***smile* You probably already guessed... another steamy chapter coming up. You asked for it! :D **

**Don't forget to review!**


	40. Chapter 40

**Hi everyone!**

**First of all, thanks again for all the reviews! And sorry I didn't update yesterday but work was busy and I was just too tired to finish this chapter. **

_**Warning: This chapter is again M-rated. Wouldn't call it smut, but definitely hot. :D **_

**Ahh, I can't wait to hear what you think, I'm always nervous when I write a steamy chapter. haha**

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 40**

Spencer still couldn't take his eyes of Annie as they stepped out of the elevator into the lobby of the hotel. As they walked through the large room he noticed several men staring at his girlfriend and instinctively wrapped his arm around her waist.

"That dress is sure getting you some attention." he murmured with a glance at a dark-haired guy who was eying Annie from head to toe.

Annie glanced up, following his gaze. Turning her head to look at Spencer her forehead turned into a frown. "Spence, if it bothers you I can always change..." she asked. She wasn't used to getting reactions like that. Yes, she knew she wasn't bad-looking but since she didn't usually dress like that this was new for her.

Spencer shook his head and gave her a quick kiss. "No way. You look incredible. I just have to get used to the fact that I have the sexiest woman in the room on my arm." he smiled, seeing her cheeks flush.

"If you say so. And you know I'm all yours." she replied, squeezing his hand that was resting on her waist and pressing herself against his body. "So, where are we going?"

"We have reservations at this Chinese restaurant. It has a view on the fountain." he smiled, his heart bursting with happiness when he saw Annie's face light up.

"Oh Spence!" she smiled. "So let's go. I'm starving. Although I dont know if it's a good idea to stuff myself in this dress." she added with a chuckle.

* * *

Sitting across from Spence in the beautiful dining room of the restaurant, Annie took another sip of her cocktail. They had gotten a table at the window and the fountain outside was lit up. Grabbing his hand across the table she smiled at him.

"I love it here Spence. And I love you." she said, looking into his eyes.

"I love you too." he replied, squeezing her hand. "It's a good thing I can't see your back from where I'm sitting or I wouldn't have bee able to eat even one bite." he grinned as their dessert arrived. So far it had been the perfect night.

Annie blushed at his words as she . "Oh Spence... I'm still not quite sure about this dress. This isn't usually my style... I borrowed this from Sarah, she's the one with the body to pull this off. I'm surprised it even fits me." she replied. She usually wasn't this insecure about her body but glancing over at the size zero blonde at the next table she couldn't help it.

"You look beautiful, believe me."

"Thanks sweetie. But it wouldn't hurt if I lost a few pounds..."

Spencer's brows turned into a frown at her words. "Don't ever say that. You're perfect just the way you are. If it's anyone who should be worried it's me..."

Now it was Annie's turn to frown. "You're the most handsome man in the room. In fact, you're the most handsome man in any room."

She slightly shook her head when she saw his cheeks blushing. He really had no idea what he did to her with that smile of his.

"So, what else are we going to do tonight?" she asked.

"If you want we could check out the casino. But I probably shouldn't play or they'll ban me here as well..." he grimaced.

* * *

An hour later they had entered the casino and Spencer had to smile when he saw Annie's face as she took it all in.

"I can't believe you've never been to a casino." he chuckled

"I know! But I love it! Although there are some sad characters around here." she replied, nodding towards a man at one of the slot machines, putting yet another bill into it.

"Yeah, I know. Did you know that according to the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery, evidence indicates that pathological gambling is an addiction similar to chemical addiction? It has been observed that some pathological gamblers have lower levels of norephinephrine than normal gamblers."

"I'd still love to see you play." she winked.

"Well... if you really want to I could be persuaded." he smiled, wrapping her arm around her and stroking the her back. "But don't expect too much, you might distract me with that dress..." he chuckled, sending shivers down her spine as he whispered in her ear.

"I'm sure that genius brain of yours can handle it." Annie laughed.

"Ok. But just one game, I don't want to push it and get banned here as well." he replied, taking her hand and walking up to one of the poker tables.

Annie stood behind him as he sat down, laying a bill down on the table and receiving a bunch of chips in return. There were three more players on the table but she was confident they wouldn't have a chance against Spencer.

Placing a kiss behind his ear she whispered, "Go get em Doctor.", receiving a smile from him.

Soon the game was in full swing and as she walked around the table to watch Spencer play she couldn't help her heart flutter as she saw the focused expression on his face. She was still amazed what this man did to her and she found it hard to believe that a couple of weeks ago he hadn't even been in her life.

* * *

Not wanting to push his luck and risk getting banned from yet another casino Spencer had quit after a couple of games and they had decided to go outside and take a little walk. As they stepped out of the hotel a light breeze hit them and the heat of the day had given way to a much more comfortable temperature.

They had walked along the strip for a good half hour, talking, laughing and stopping in between to steal little kisses, when they reached the fountain in front of their hotel again. Spencer looked up when suddenly Annie stopped.

"There's something we need to do." she announced, a solemn smile on her face.

"And what would that be?" he grinned back.

"We need to take a picture in front of the fountain to remember the night!" she laughed, letting go of his hand and almost skipping towards the famous landmark.

Spencer laughed out at her excitement and slowly followed her. When she reached it she stopped to lean against the railing. He stopped a few feet away from her and his heart skipped a beat at the sight of her in front of the illuminated fountain. And when he saw her look over her shoulder, flashing that bright smile he loved at him, he knew without a doubt that he could never imagine ever having to spend a day again without her in his life.

"Come on!" she called out to him, turning back to face the water and he quickly stepped behind her. Wrapping his arms around her she immediately snuggled up to him as his mouth brushed her hair. They stood in complete silence for a few moments before she turned around in his arms and placed her hands on his chest.

"This is beautiful Spence... Thanks for bringing me here." she smiled up at him.

His hands couldn't resist to gently stroked her bare back. Feeling her tremble under his touch he pulled her closer, loosing herself in her eyes staring up at him. Those blue eyes that had sparkled at him that first time they met. That had winked at him so many times, sending his heart racing. That had widened in fear when her life was at stake back in that farmhouse. Thinking back to that fateful day his heart remembered the horror he had gone through on that day. And he vowed to himself he would do everything in his power to keep her as happy and safe as she was right now, right here, in his arms.

And then his lips crashed onto hers with longing, as he pulled her closer, his hands digging into that sweet flesh of her hips. He felt her brief surprise for a second before she returned his passion, her lips parting to allow him entry. Her hands grabbed his shirt as his right hand moved downwards and he felt her hips rock against his as he pushed her against the railing. When his mouth slowly traveled down her neck, sucking on her soft skin a small moan escaped her mouth. Pushing herself away from him she panted as she looked up.

"Shall we move this upstairs?" she chuckled. "There is a kingsize bed just waiting for us..."

* * *

As she watched Spencer slide the keycard into the lock of the door to their room, Annie wondered how they had managed to get her without actually doing it in the elevator. Her lips still felt puffy from his frantic kisses as she stepped into the room behind him. And when she looked up at him she only had a moment to notice the hunger in his eyes before he grabbed her again, pushing her against the now closed door. Within seconds she had opened up the buttons on his shirt and the growl he let out as she pressed kisses down his chest touched her at her core. His hand grabbed her thigh, lifting up her leg, his fingers burning on her skin as his hand slipped under her dress.

Spencer thought he might loose it when he felt her hips buck against him, her panting breath against his neck. As he found her mouth again she wrapped his arms around his neck, her nails scraping his skin and sending bolts of pleasure through him. Grabbing her other leg he lifted her up, still pressed against the door. His lips traveled down her jaw as he carried her over to the bed, gently setting her down on the edge and kneeling before her. She was now yanking at his jacket, pushing it off his shoulders and his shirt followed immediately as her hot mouth once again pressed against his. Moving his hands from her thighs he slid down her dress and pushed her on her back, climbing on top of her. His mouth instantly found her bare breasts and he felt her hands on his belt buckle as she moaned his name.

Annie sighed in relief when she finally managed to yank down his trousers, with his boxers soon following. Before she knew it he had slid off her dress and freed her from he lace panties she was wearing. Cupping her breasts, his mouth placed frantic kisses down her belly and she gasped when he reached her center, his tongue sending her into oblivion.

Her hands were still tangled in his hair as he softly placed kisses back up her waist, using all his willpower to restrain himself and give her time to recover. Spencer felt his heart skip a beat at the look she shot down at him as she grabbed his shoulders to pull him towards her. Her lips pressed onto his as she raised herself up and pushed him on his back, straddling him. Another growl escaped his throat when she lowered herself onto him. Her hips moving in circles his hands roamed her body and as her movements sped up he grabbed her waist. And seeing her throw her head back as she came undone sent him over the edge...

* * *

**Alright, pleeeaaaasseeeee review and tell me what you think! Was it worth the wait?**


	41. Chapter 41

**Hi everyone! **

**Thanks for all your reviews! I was really nervous about the steamy chapter, so glad you liked it! **

**So here's another chapter for you! Hope you all have a great weekend! **

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 41**

Blinking a few times from the sunlight hitting her face through the narrow gap in the curtains, Annie stifled a yawn. Fully opening her eyes she gave a small sigh as she felt Spencer's arm around her waist, his body pressed against her back. Feeling his steady breath behind her ear she carfully turned around in his arms as not to wake him. She laid her head down on her hand as she watched him slightly stir, his arm pulling her closer in his sleep. His hair was ruffled and her eyes flickered down over the bridge of his nose to his slightly parted, perfect lips. She could spend hours just watching him sleep like that, the expression on his face content.

She didn't want to disturb his slumber but she couldn't resist to lift her other hand from between their bodies and gently stroke his cheek, her thumb resting just beneath his mouth. Her own mouth curled into a smile when she thought back to last night, her eylids half-closed. And with a sudden urge she lightly pressed her lips on his. Feeling him stir she retreated, only to feel him pull her closer as his eyelids fluttered open and his mouth found hers in another gentle kiss.

"Sorry, didn't want to wake you." she whispered, their noses still touching as she felt his fingers painting gentle circles on her lower back.

Feeling her warm body pressed against his under the soft sheets, Spencer gave a little smile. "If that's your way of waking me up you can do it anytime." he whispered back, tightening his grasp on her waist and pulling her halfway on top of him, and the laugh escaping her throat almost made his heart burst.

How he had ever found contentment in sleeping and waking up alone was now a mystery to him as he watched her beaming face above him, her messy hair framing her face. Lifting his hand to push a strand of hair behind her ear he pulled her closer for another kiss. Feeling her nipples brush his chest his other hand moved from her waist down, cupping the soft flesh of her buttcheek.

Pulling away from him she chuckled. "Thought you'd be exhausted after last night."

Shaking his head and drew her close again and murmured: "I'll never get enough of you...", her giggle like music to his ears as he nuzzled her neck...

* * *

So, what's the plan for today?" Annie asked, taking a bite of her croissant as she sat on the bed cross-legged, wearing his shirt from last night.

They had decided to order room-service as neither was ready yet to leave their little island of tranquility. Spencer had made sure they were registered for a late check-out so they weren't in a rush.

"Well, we should probably first book a flight back for tonight, maybe make it a late one? And we could go to the park since we didn't make it there yesterday." he replied, sipping on his second cup of coffee. "It's not far from where I grew up."

Annie nodded her head in approval. "Sounds good. And stop by your mom's to say goodbye?"

"If it's alright with you, yes."

"Sure it's alright with me Spence." Annie smiled. "Your mom is great."

Grabbing her phone she checked the time. "So, how about you take care of the flights and I'll jump in the shower?" she asked.

"Or I could join you in the shower." he grinned.

Annie burst out laughing at the look on his face and shook her head. "Oh no Doctor! Or we'll never get anything done today." she winked, jumping out of bed. "And don't give me those puppy eyes!" she added, placing a kiss on his nose.

She let out another laugh when he saw him purse his lips in a mock-disappointed manner and covered her eyes with her right hand. "Not even looking at you or I'll cave in." she grinned as she turned around and walked into the bathroom.

* * *

A couple of hours later they were sitting in the community room of the mental health facility again. They had picked up some pizza to share on the way to his mom and Spencer smiled as Diana continued interrogating his girlfriend after they had finished their meal.

"Spencer told me you're from New Hampshire? When did you move to Washington?"

"Yes, from Portsmouth. I lived there almost all my life. I moved to D.C. for a job in Public Relations. I enjoyed it but I knew I wasn't passionate about it. That's why I opened the cafe. One of my favourite memories from my childhood is sitting at our large kitchen table, enjoying a meal with family and friends. And I wanted to create a place where people can find that. Simple, good food and a cozy atmosphere." she replied, her voice animated. "I'm lucky it all worked out, sometimes I can't believe I really just quit my job like that and took that risk." And with a glance at Spencer she continued. "But even if the cafe wasn't successful it would have been worth it because without it I would never have met Spence..."

Diana smiled at the look that passed between her son and the young woman. Annie was so charming and she felt relieved that Spencer had finally found someone who loved him and who he could share his life with. She always worried about him, the things he saw on his job. He had always denied it but sometimes she had read a sadness in between the lines of his letters that had broken her heart. She had always worried that it was partly her fault, that she wasn't the kind of mother he needed. She wanted to be there for him and make sure he was alright, but the ghosts in her head kept her from leading a normal life.

Seeing his eyes light up whenever he looked at Annie she felt the love between them and knew she could sleep easier now, knowing her son was happy.

"So, do you have any brothers or sisters?" she asked, wanting to know more about the woman who had managed to conquer Spencer's heart.

Annie nodded her head. "I have a brother, Scott. He's 4 yeas older than me and lives in New York. He's a lawyer, like my dad. He got married last year and his wife is expecting their first child. I can't wait to be an auntie." she smiled.

"How nice. So I take it you like children?" Diana enquired with a sideways glance at Spence.

He couldn't believe it, he knew exactly where this was going. Annie and him had barely been dating for two months and here she was, asking his girlfriend about kids... But he couldn't help thinking about what it would be like to start a family. Until recently he wouldn't have thought getting married and having children was ever in the cards for him. He had pretty much expected to spend his life alone, hoping to find fulfilment in his job. His thoughts were interrupted by Annie answering his mothers question.

"I love kids. I already met Spencer's godson Henry. He's so adorable." she gushed.

"That's good. I've always told Spencer I'd like to have grandchildren one day..." his mother replied with a smile.

"Mom!" he interrupted and rolled his eyes at her, seeing a small blush creep up Annie's cheeks. "This is hardly appropriate."

"Whatever you say..." Diana relented. "So, when is your flight leaving?" she asked, changing the topic.

Glancing at his watch Spencer replied: "In 2 hours, so we should probably get going soon."

"You're right." Annie nodded. "Would you excuse me for a minute before we leave?" she asked and stood up to look for the restrooms.

Spencer turned to face his mother.

"Sorry we can't stay longer..." he apologized and hugged her tightly.

He felt the familiar guilt overcome him. He knew his mother missed him and constantly worried about him, but he had to be back at the office tomorrow morning and Annie needed to get back to her business.

"It's alright Spencer. Now that I know you have Annie by your side I'll feel much better." she smiled at him.

"I'm glad you like her mom. But that comment about grandchildren was really unnecessary... We've only been together for a couple of weeks."

Diana chuckled. "I know Spencer and I didn't want to rush you. But I know she's the girl you'll marry one day." Seeing him open his mouth she held up her hand. "Shush. Don't interrupt your mother Spencer! A mother knows these things. You'll see..."

Seeing Annie approach them again she nudged his shoulder. "And now you should really go, I don't want you to miss your flight." she said, hugging her son again.

Turning to Annie, she surprised her with an embrace. "You take care of my boy, okay?"

Stepping away from Diana, Annie gave her a smile. "I will Diana. I promise."

* * *

**Awwww, so much fluff! :D Don't forget to review!**


	42. Chapter 42

**Hi everyone!**

**As always, thank you sooo much for all your reviews and new follows/favorites! **

**Here's another chapter for you! Hope you don't mind the time jump.  
**

** And I hate to say this, there's only going to be one more after this one. Yes, this story is coming to an end. **

**I hope you enjoy this one! Also, I'll probably not post the final chapter tomorrow as I have a ton of stuff to do and don't want to give you a low-quality one. But I promise I'll try and update as soon as I can!**

**Have a great Sunday!**

**xoxo**

**Reidsgirl**

* * *

**Chapter 42**

Heaving the oversized container of olive oil onto the shopping cart, Annie opened her purse and took out her shopping list, glad to check off yet another item. She and Sarah had spent the past hour shopping for supplies for the cafe as her storeroom had become increasingly empty in the past weeks. After 6 months, her cafe was still running and even more successful than when she first opened it. She had hired a kitchen porter three months ago, to assist her and Josh. It was the only sensible thing to do as their workload increased. There was so much more to running a restaurant than cooking and she had spent many nights going over financial statements and other paperwork. At one point it had just gotten too much and she had realized she needed to stock up on personnel. Glancing up from the sheet of paper she saw Sarah walking towards her with an oversized bag of candy.

"I don't think that's on our list." she laughed when her best friend reached her and dumped the bag on their already overflowing cart.

"I know, but I couldn't help it." Sarah laughed. "Plus, Halloween is in just two days and you can never have too much candy for that."

At the mention of the approaching holiday, Annie's heart gave a little tug. It was not only hers but also Spencer's favourite holiday and they had been looking forward to spending it together, especially after he had alerted her to the fact that it also, to the day, marked their 6 month anniversary. But the team had been called away to a case three days ago. A serial killer was dumping bodies all over Houston and judging by Spencer's frustration at not having any leads so far when they talked on the phone last night it didn't look like he'd be back in time. She always missed him when he was away but this time she found it especially hard.

Reading her friend's thoughts by the sad expression on her face, Sarah asked: "So, your man's gonna be back in time for the scariest day of the year?"

Shaking her head she tried to pull herself herself together. People were being killed for pete's sake and the man she loved was trying to stop it. She really shouldn't complain. But still...

"I'm still hoping they solve the case soon but it's not looking good."

"Aw sweetie... I know how hard this is for you. Its a shame Spencer and the team won't be here, I was looking forward to the party at JJ's too."

Seeing Annie force a smile Sarah felt bad. She knew it wasn't Spencer's fault but it still broke her heart to see her best friend that way.

"Tell you what, if he's not back in time we're having a girl's night out, okay?" Sarah asked, determined to cheer her up.

"Alright, should be better than sitting at home alone." Annie shrugged. "But I do have to go trick or treating with Henry. Spencer and I promised him and if he can't be here I don't want to let the little man down too, especially as his mom won't be here."

Okay, now she felt really bad. Here she was, upset that her boyfriend wouldn't be here while little Henry had been looking forward to showing his mom and godfather the costume Annie and him had planned. And now neither of them would be here. In the past months Spencer and her had made it a regular habit to take Henry out, once they even had a sleepover at her place. They had built a fort out of blankets and pillows. Remembering that fun night she couldn't help but smile. She had gotten so attached to the little guy and Spencer had told her how happy he was his godson liked her so much.

"Annie?!" she finally took notice of her friend's voice. "Stop daydreaming about your genius and get moving. We still have to decorate the cafe today."

Snapping out of her thoughts, Annie looked up. "You're right. So, the only thing that's left on the list is the pasta. Should be right over there." she replied already pushing the cart in the right direction.

* * *

Walking out of the kitchen the next night, Annie looked around the cafe. Sarah and her had spent the better half of last night decorating the dining room with cobwebs, carved-out pumpkins and there was even a skeleton sitting on the coffee counter. It had been a busy day and she was looking forward to sleep in tomorrow with Josh covering the morning shift. She was just about to call it a day and close up when she heard the bell above the door ring and saw Penelope walk in. She gave a light chuckle when she saw her wearing a black pencil skirt, a leopard print sweater, topped off with a pair of matching cat ears in her blonde curls.

"You know, Halloween isn't till tomorrow." Annie smiled as she hugged the woman who she now considered a close second when it came to being her best friend.

"I know sweetie but this tech kitten is always in the mood for dressing up." Garcia laughed. "I don't have much time, I have to get back to the office but I thought I'd drop by and pick up some coffee and a brownie. You know I always crave a substitute when my chocolate thunder isn't here." she winked.

Annie gave a hearty laugh. She had gotten used to Derek and Penelope's constant flirting despite their insistence that were just friends. As she proceeded to prepare the latte for her friend - skimmed milk, no foam, extra shot, extra whipped cream - she saw Penelope rub her forehead.

"Another long day?" she asked.

"Garcia nodded her head. "Yeah, but I just had to take that break. You don't want to know the stuff I've seen in the past couple of hours... I just couldn't look at the screen any longer, and that rarely happens. So I told the others I'd be back at their service in 30 minutes. And promised Reid to make sure you're okay. He's such a cutie, always worried about you when they're on a case."

"How are they doing?" Annie had talked to him on the phone last night but had only received a short text this afternoon telling her he was okay. "Still no leads?"

"Not yet. We thought we might have one last night but nothing came of it. This unsub is one sick but smart bastard... Another mutilated body was found this morning."

Penelope's hand covered Annie's when she saw her flinch. She knew how she was feeling, she herself would never completely get used to the violent images. And she was always worrying about her babies out there, dealing with those sickos. "Believe me, as much as I love my job I hate this part."

"So I guess they're not going to be back soon..." Annie murmured, her eyes sad.

"Don't say that honey. I'm heading back to the office now and I'll keep you updated okay? I know even if they have a breakthrough and manage to get back by tomorrow the party is still off. But think of the bright side, then you and Reid have the night all for yourself for some freaky Halloween bedroom action." Garcia winked.

Annie couldn't hold back the chuckle escaping her throat at her friend's antics. "You and your dirty mind Pen.."

"You know you love it! And once again the great Penelope Garcia has succeeded in cheering you up." she laughed. "Okay cupcake, I gotta get back to the office and make sure I work my magic to reunite my two favourite lovebirds in time for their favourite holiday." she added with another wink as she turned around on her heels.

* * *

"You ready? The others are waiting."

Spencer's head snapped up when he heard JJ's voice behind him. Turning around he slung his messenger bag over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I am." he replied, running his fingers through his hair. "I'll be out in a minute."

"Have you called Annie yet?" she smiled at him.

"No." he shook his head, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards. "I was just going to."

"Ok, I'll wait outside with the others. And listen Spence, I'm sorry the party is off, I know you were all looking forward to it..."

"Don't worry JJ, no big deal." he smiled.

Watching JJ walk away through the glass windows of the office the Houston P.D. had set up for them, he fumbled for his phone in his pocket. Unlocking his phone he smiled at the picture of Annie and him. They had taken it a couple of weeks back, in those last warm days of summer when they had a picknick in the park. On it, Annie was nuzzling his neck with a laugh on her face as she snapped the picture. Hitting speed dial, he waited for her to pick up.

"Hello?" he heard his favourite voice on the other end.

"Hey, it's me."

"Spence!" he could hear the smile in her voice.

"How are you?" he asked.

"Good. But I miss you. Everything alright with you and the team?"

"I miss you too. Yeah, we're all fine. Perfect in fact." he smiled.

"Perfect? Spence? Does that mean that..."

He couldn't stop himself from interrupting her. "Yes, it means I'm coming home!"

His heart skipped a beat when she replied, and he was sure the exhilarant laughter in her voice was the sweetest sound he had ever heard. "Really? Oh Spence... Are you already on your way back?"

He chuckled at her excitement. "No, not yet. We're just about to leave for the airport. So seeing that the drive there will take us approximately 23 minutes with a flight duration of 3 hours and 5 minutes, we should be back by 4 this afternoon." he replied, glancing at his watch.

"I can't wait to have you back here. I can't believe we're gonna be able to spend tonight together after all."

"I know but we caught a break this morning and then it all happened really fast. Anyways, what do you want to do tonight? JJ feels kind of bad but there's no way she could pull off throwing the party, she hasn't pepared anything yet."

There was a pause at the other end and he thought he had lost the connection. "Annie? Are you still there?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm still here. Listen, make sure that the team is still free for tonight okay?"

Spencer furrowed his brows in confusion. "Why?"

"Don't be so nosy! Just make sure, okay?" she chuckled. "And now, you hurry off to the airport and get back here fast. I gotta go, ok? See you in a couple of hours. Love you!"

Spencer barely managed to get out a "Love you too." before she had hung up. Staring at his phone for a few minutes he stuffed it back into his pocket.

"What is she planning now..." he mumbled to himself as he walked out the room to join the others.

* * *

Hanging up the phone, Annie checked for the time and bit her lip, lost in thought for a moment. She wasn't entirely sure she could pull this off but she was determined to at least try. The team had become like her second family in these past few months. They had worked hard on this case, as they always did, and she knew they could all do with some distraction when they came back. And as much as she and Spence would enjoy a quiet night alone with just the two of them she knew he would approve of what she had planned.

As she sprang into action she quickly grabbed her car keys and purse from the side table. Slamming the apartment door behind her she hurried down the stairs, her finger scrolling through the contacts on her phone. As she hit dial she reached her car and jumped in. Balancing the phone between her shoulder and ear she sighed impatiently as she started the ignition when she finally heard a voice on the other end.

"Sexy kitten purring at your service!"

Giving a light chuckle as she pulled out of her parking space, she replied: "Hey Pen, it's me, Annie."

"Oh, hey sweetie. I guess you've already heard! See, I told you yesterday that everything would work out. Excited to have your man back soon?"

"Of course I am." she smiled. "But listen, I need your help with something..."

* * *

**Don't forget to review, as always. Even if you haven't reviewed until now I'd love to hear what you think!**


	43. Chapter 43

**Hello my lovely readers! **

**So, this is it. My final chapter! I know (or rather hope) you can't wait to read it but I want to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU to each and every single one of you. I am still moved beyond words that this story has gotten so much attention and that you all enjoyed this little journey as much as I did. **

**I especially want to say thank you to all the faithful reviewers out there who have encouraged me to write more. Reviews are a writers drug and you guys never failed to make my day! This chapter is for you:**

_**Sue1313, gabbyreid, deathly hallow girls, Criminal-Minds-superfan, tannerose5 and Leaa980**_

**Thank you to _adorkable-oxo_ for inspiring me to get back into fanfiction with your awesome story! **

**And last, but definitely not least, I want to dedicate this chapter to my faithful follower, reviewer and dear friend _sunset's last lullaby!_ I'm glad I made a friend halfway across the world through our mutual love of Criminal Minds and the awesomeness that is Spencer Reid / MGG! (Also, check out her story _"To Heal a Heart"_, it's awesome!)**

**I love you all!**

**xoxo**

**ReidsGirl**

* * *

**Chapter 43**

Annie's brows furrowed as she mentally checked off the items lying in front of her. After calling Garcia she had driven right to the cafe to get started on the food. As soon as lunch hour was over, Josh and the the new kitchen porter Max had agreed to stay on and even cover the afternoon shift. She knew she wouldn't be able to pull this off without their help. The three of them had worked like madmen to get everything ready in time. She usually would have liked to offer a more varied selection but on such short notice, this had to do.

There was a "Creepy-Crawly Pasta Salad", with fresh veggies, mozzarella and herbs and some "Eyeball Foccacia" to go with it. She had come up with that recipe last year, green olives stuffed with almonds creating the creepy effect. Knowing the team would love a warm home-cooked meal after five days of take-out, she had also opted for a hearty beef stew. Everything was topped off with a batch of Chocolate Chip Pumpkin muffins.

Looking up she saw Sarah walk into the kitchen. She had texted her earlier and her best friend had immediately agreed to help out.

"Got everything ready?" Sarah asked as she reached her.

"Yes. So, you're gonna drive this over to Will's and JJ's house and I'll go home and pick up my costume and then drive by Spencer's apartment to get his, alright?" Annie replied, giving her best friend a hug. "Thank you so much for helping me out today."

Spencer had suggested to exchange keys for their apartments a couple of weeks back after he got called away to a case late one night while she was at his place. It just made things so much easier, now she could get comfy on is couch while waiting if she knew he'd be home late. Now she was once again glad they'd done it as it proved useful today.

"No problem sweetie. Anything for you. By the way, what are you guys dressing up as?" Sarah interrupted her thoughts.

"Not telling you! We had a hard time deciding on matching costumes but we figured out something really cute." Annie laughed.

"Alright, alright. Can't wait to see it. So you go along, I'll load this into my car. And I'll go home and change once everything is done. So Garcia is already at JJ's?" Sarah replied, pointing at the boxes of food.

"Yes, she should be there by now and probably already got started on the decorations. See you later!" Annie replied as she grabbed her purse and rushed out of the kitchen.

* * *

As Annie walked up the flight of stairs to Spencer's apartment she felt giddy with excitement. Unlocking the door she stepped inside and walked into the bedroom. Stopping for a moment she sat down on his bed and picked up the framed picture on his night table. Penelope had taken it at their last cook-out at Dave's house. On it, she was sitting on Spencer's lap, her arms wrapped around his neck. She remembered that night like it was yesterday. Her heart did a little flip knowing she'd soon hold him in her arms again.

As she walked over to the closet, she quickly pulled out his costume for tonight and went back into the living room. Taking one last look around, she picked up the shoes she knew he wanted to wear tonight before she walked outside. Hurrying down to her car she jumped inside and noticed the time on the digital clock on the center console Roaming through her purse in search of her phone she finally found it and quickly typed a text to Spence.

_Hi my love. Please tell the team to get into Halloween mode and be at JJ's at 8 pm sharp! And tell them: No costume, no fun. ;-) Tell Hotch to bring Jack! I'll meet you and JJ at her house as soon as you get back. Counting the minutes till you get here. Love you! xoxo Annie_

Hitting send she chuckled to herself before she started the car. There was still a lot left to do.

* * *

Sitting in the plane with the rest of the team, Spencer found it hard to focus on the book in his hands. He knew Annie was up to something and he was curious to find out what it was.

Looking up from his mp3 player, Morgan noticed how Reid rubbed his fingers together, something he always did when that brain of his was working.

"Reid, you okay?" he asked and grinned when his friend's head snapped up in surprise.

"Hm?"

"I asked if you're okay?"

"Oh, yeah. Yeah sure. I'm just trying to figure out what Annie is planning..." Spencer replied.

"Let me give you one advice kid, don't even try to understand what's going on in a woman's head sometimes." Dave laughed from the seat next to him. "Even a dozen genius profilers couldn't."

"He's right. But she's probably taking us all out for drinks." Aaron joined in from across the cabin, raising his brow at Emily who was sitting opposite him.

Spencer nodded his head. "Yeah, you're probably right. But.." He stopped when he was interrupted by his phone buzzing in his pocket.

"Excuse me." he said as he pulled it out and opened the text, his nose crinkling when he read it. "This is weird."

"What's weird?" JJ asked as she walked past them on their way back from the bathroom.

"Annie wants us all to be at your place at 8, and in costume... And I should go straight to your place after we land." Spencer replied, looking up at her. "You don't think she..."

"Is throwing the party at our place after all?" JJ interrupted him with a smile. "Naw. she couldn't have prepared everything in the past couple of hours."

"I'm wearing no costume." Derek protested. "What am I, 10?"

"Don't be a spoilsport Morgan!" Emily insisted with a laugh. "I'm sure you can find something in your closet. And if not I'm sure Garcia will lend you one of her princess crowns."

* * *

"You think they'll like it?" Annie asked, giving Will a questioning look as they sat down on the couch in the large living room. Penelope and Sarah had gone home to change into their costumes and Will had just brought out two cups of coffee for them.

"Like it? They'll love it, I'm sure." he smiled at her encouragingly.

"Yeah, you're right." she smiled back at him as she looked around the room. "Thank you so much for agreeing to do this and helping out."

They had spent the past hour getting everything ready and with the help of Penelope, Sarah and of course little Henry they had given the living room the true Halloween spirit. Cobwebs with spiders were hanging from the ceiling, a skeleton couple was ready to greet the guests at the front door and the ceiling lights were turned off in favour of carved out pumpkins giving the room a faint glow. Will had even produced some colored spotlights to highlight the mummy sitting in the armchair by the window.

Annie practically jumped up from the couch when she heard a key turning in the lock.

"They're here." she grinned as she rushed to the door.

* * *

As he stepped into the house behind JJ, the first thing he saw was Annie's beaming face as she rushed towards him. Dropping his bag, he wrapped his arms around her waist, slightly raising her up as he felt her arms around his neck. Nuzzling that patch of skin behind her ear he loved, he closed his eyes and breathed in that heavenly scent he had missed so much. Opening his eyes again he caught sight of the room and he let out a little gasp. Pulling away from her he quickly placed a kiss onto her lips. Taking a few steps into the room, his hand still on her waist, he shot her a surprised look.

"Annie.. what..." he stammered, too surprised to form a coherent sentence.

At his words, JJ glanced up and took a step forward, little Henry, who had come running at his mother's arrival, still in her arms. Her eyes widened as she took in the decorations.

"Did you do all this?" she gasped.

Annie smiled and opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted by a screeching Henry.

"Yes mommy! T'was Annie's idea but daddy and me helped. And auntie Penelope and Sarah! Do you like it uncle Spencer?"

"In fact little man, I love it." Spencer replied before he turned to Annie. "You did all this for us?"

"Yes, we're gonna have a proper Halloween party after all."

Seeing her nod and bite her lip he could only pull her closer again, hugging her tight. Of course he knew how wonderful she was, hell, this woman had turned his life around in the past 6 months. She made him happier than he had ever been. But the fact that she had gone to the trouble and planned this whole party in just a few hours for his family almost made him speechless. Glancing over at a smiling JJ and his beaming godson he squeezed Annie once more.

"Thank you." he whispered in her ear.

"No need to thank me." she whispered back and pulled away from him. Turning around, she looked at Henry.

"So little man, ready to show your parents and uncle Spence your costume?" she winked.

And they all burst into happy laughter when he raised his hands and screeched: "Yay!"

* * *

"So, what do you think?" Annie asked as she stepped out of the en-suite bathroom of the guestroom.

"You have to be the hottest nanny I've ever seen." Spencer laughed as he took in her outfit of a black, slightly flared skirt, red belt and the white blouse with a little red bow at the collar. The ensemble was completed by a black hat adorned with white daisies, her hair pulled back underneath it, and an old-fashioned purse and a black umbrella. "I don't remember Mary Poppin's skirt to be quite so short."

She laughed as she gave a little twirl. "Well, I thought a little creative adjustment was in order. And I think I've never seen a chimney sweep that looked this handsome." she replied, walking over and placing a small kiss on his lips.

And he really did look handsome in black slacks, held up with a pair of suspenders, a dark-grey shirt and the old-fashioned vest in a lighter shade of grey. A dark-red scarf was loosely tied around his neck and a flat cap rested on his ruffled hair.

"There's just one thing missing." she added and quickly retrieved her eyeliner from her make-up bag. Drawing a few lines on his face she gently smeared them with her hand to create a dirty look. "Perfect." she exclaimed, examining the result.

Stepping in front of the mirror next to Spence she gave a small nod at their apearance. They had spent a whole evening discussing what couple they wanted to be for Halloween. Their first idea had been, of course, a Star Trek theme but then they had both agreed it was far too boring and predictable. Then they had talked about going as a famous couple from literature, like Romeo and Juliet. But it would have been too cheesy and the costumes would have taken ages to make. And then, one night cuddling in bed she had told him that one of her favorite movies from her childhood was Mary Poppins, adding one more thing to the list of things they shared. And Spencer had come up with the idea to dress up as the iconic nanny and jack-of-all-trades / chimney sweep Bert.

"I have to say Doctor, we do make a nice couple." she smiled as he pulled her into his arms again.

"I'm so glad you're back." she whispered, her nose touching his.

Cupping her face with his hands, Spencer looked into her eyes before his mouth took hers in a tender kiss, his thumb gently stroking her cheek. Her arms wrapped around his waist, he felt her lips part and his heart picked up the pace as she increased the pressure, a small sigh escaping her throat.

Pulling away from her he smiled. "So am I."

"As much as I'd love to be alone with you, there's a little guy waiting for me to help him get dressed." Annie said. "You wait downstairs okay?"

"Sure." Spencer chuckled. "Can't wait to see what his costume is, you two made such a secret out of it."

Annie laughed, placing another small kiss on his lips. "You'll love it."

* * *

"Okay buddy, I'll go downstairs and gather your mommy and daddy and uncle Spence and then you come down the stairs okay?" Annie smiled at Henry as she quietly opened the door of his room.

He gave a solemn nod, an excited grin on his face.

As she walked down the stairs she couldn't help but share his excitement. The costume had actually been Henry's idea and he looked absolutely adorable. Reaching the bottom of the stairs she saw Spencer, JJ and Will sitting on the couch.

"Can I have your attention please?" she announced.

The three of them quickly stood up, their faces expectant.

"After you came back from a case a couple of weeks back, Henry told me all about how you guys are superheroes for catching all the bad guys. And I agree." she continued with a smile. "And that he wanted to be a superhero too when he grew up."

"Great, my son wants to be a profiler." JJ laughed, rolling her eyes at her husband.

"Ah ah", Annie winked, wagging her finger. "For this Halloween he wanted to be his favourite profiler!"

All four of them looked up at Henry stumbling down the stairs, wearing a pair of brown curdory pants, a blue shirt with a grey cardigan and red tie, a brown messenger bag slung around his shoulders. They had even crafted a little fake FBI badge for him.

"Woow." Spencer exclaimed, crouching on his knees as his godson ran towards him. "You look great Henry." he called out excitedly, giving Henry a hig-five.

Annie looked over at JJ and Will who were both cheering as they looked down on the two. Bending down to Henry she whispered in his ear. "Tell him."

Henry furrowed his brows for a moment before saying: "E equals mc²!", resulting in another round of "Awwwees" from he group.

As Henry ran over to his mom and dad, Spencer got up and looked at Annie. "So this was the big secret." he laughed.

"Yeah, we really wanted to surprise you." she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck. "So what do you say, should we take Mini-Reid out for trick or treating?"

Spencer's smile grew wide as he nodded his head. "I think we should."

* * *

A couple of hours later they had returned from collecting candy - at which they had been immensely successful, much to Henry's delight - and the other team members had arrived for the party. All had voiced their joy at this surprise Annie had prepared and had immediately tucked into the food. The party was now in full swing.

Hotch had brought Jack, who was now sitting on the floor with Henry, both counting and comparing the candy they had gotten. Will, dressed up as a Southern Gentleman, true to his roots, was animatedly chatting with Sarah, who made quite a sexy version of the little mermaid, and Garcia, who had decided to go as Sandy from Grease. Hotch and Jack had shown up in matching pirate outfits, with eypatches and swords. The only ones not really dressed up were of course Morgan - who had arrived wearing a black suit and sunglasses, insisting he was Agent Jay from the Men in Black movies - and Rossi, in a black tux with a rose on his collar, declaring he was the Godfather and that would be the extent of his dressing up. JJ looked great in her "I dream of Jeannie" outfit, while Emily bore a striking resemblance to the original in her white and gold Cleopatra gown.

"Thank you so much for putting all this together." JJ said as she took a bite of then muffin in her hand.

"I enjoyed doing it. I'm just glad you're not mad at me for taking over your house." Annie laughed.

"Are you kidding? This is exactly what we needed." JJ replied, squeezing her shoulder.

"She's right kiddo." Dave agreed, giving her a little wink.

"But it wasn't just me!" Annie insisted. "I couldn't have done it without Garcia, Will and Sarah!"

"And me!" Henry screeched from his spot on the floor, causing everyone to laugh out loud.

"But it was our cupcakes idea." Penelope declared loudly.

"So I guess we all owe you one. Drinks on me on our next night out!" Emily chuckled. "Except for the little guy." she added, tilting her head in Henry's direction.

"That's what I call a deal." Sarah called out with a wink.

"You know we already consider you family, but I'd say you've officially qualified with this party." Hotch adressed Annie, giving her a warm look.

She felt Spencer squeeze her hand as he flashed her a happy smile and placed a quick kiss on her lips.

"Thanks Aaron. I'm happy to be part of it." she replied, her cheeks blushing. "But enough with the compliments. I'll quickly put these away." she added, already collecting some of the dirty dishes on the table.

"Oh no, let us do that." JJ objected. "You've already done enough."

"It's no bid deal, I'll be right back."

"At least let us help." Emily insisted, putting her glass down to help. "Guys?" she asked with a questioning look at Morgan.

"Oh, I think you ladies got it covered. I'll just make more of a mess than there already is." he winked.

"You're so macho." she laughed back.

"I'll help you." Spencer chimed in, giving his girlfried a smile.

"No it's fine Spence. But how about you get me a drink?"

"That I can do." he winked, giving her another kiss before she, JJ and Emily disappeared into the kitchen.

* * *

As she re-entered the room, Annie walked up to Spencer who was sitting on the couch talking to Morgan. As he smiled up at her, she lowered herself onto his lap and took of her hat, his arms immediately sliding around her waist.

Returning his smile she pressed her lips on his, both oblivious to Morgan's grin.

"Girl, you've really outdone yourself with this." he interrupted them, nodding towards the room filled with laughter and chatter.

"Anything for my second family." she grinned back. "And my favorite profiler." she chuckled in reference to Henry's costume and nuzzled Spencers neck.

Breathing in his scent she was interrupted by a screech from across the room.

"Annie! Look we counted all our candy!" Henry called out to her, both him and Jack waving for her to join them.

"I'll be there in a minute!" she laughed and turned to Spencer. "You think you can spare me again for a couple of minutes? I am, after all, the world's most famous Nanny." she winked.

"Sure." he nodded, taking her mouth in another kiss. "I love you." he whispered.

"And I love you." she replied, rubbing her nose against his.

As Annie hopped over to where the two boys were sitting, Spencer watched her and smiled when she sat down next to them, her face beaming at Henry as he shared a piece of candy with her. His heart skipped a beat when she looked up at him across the room, her eyes sparkling.

"You got yourself a keeper there kid. Ever think about making her Mrs. Spencer Reid one day?" Morgan chuckled.

Misjudging Spencer's facial expression, he sat up. "Just teasing you man" he laughed.

Spencer turned his head again and gazed at Annie, her head thrown back in laughter as his godson goofed around. His mouth curled into a smile, as he replied, his eyes still fixed on his girlfriend.

"In fact Morgan, I know I will."

* * *

**Don't be mad I stole the idea of Henry's costume and tweaked it a little, I just recently watched that episode and just couldn't resist. Sooo adorable. :D **

**As always, don't forget to tell me what you think, I cherish every single review!**

**Oh, and guys, did I mention there's gonna be a sequel? (You didn't _really_ think I'd end Spencer and Annie's story here?) *winkwink***

**EDIT: My sequel called "Will you still love me tomorrow?" is now online!**


End file.
